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plants. Such crops as cabbage and squash are irrigated in furrows; 

 whereas cauliflower, beets, onions, lettuce, celery, etc., are irrigated 

 by means of an ordinary nozzle, a man holding his finger over tlie 

 opening to form a spray. He has no definite figures as to the cost of 

 liis plant, since it is virtuall}' a development from a small beginning 

 twenty-five years ago, improvements being made from time to time as 

 his business increases. He does not keep an exact record of the 

 profits derived from the irrigation, but he states that crops are often 

 increased 50 per cent, and nearly always as much as 25 per cent. He 

 aims to apply an inch or two of water every two or three days on 

 large crops where furrows can be used, but on small crops not so 

 much is used at a time, but it is applied oftener. 



W. H. ALLEN, ARLINGTON, MASS. 



Mr. Allen uses a pumping plant which is not in first-class condition, 

 as it has been used so long that the pipes are rusted and the pump is 

 in poor condition. He therefore supplements his supply from the 

 city mains. He uses the furrow method for cabbages, cauliflower, 

 squash, etc., and sprays small plants with an ordinarj'^ nozzle. He 

 has no definite idea of the cost of irrigation, as in addition to using 

 water for irrigation he uses it for greenhouse work and for washing. 

 He runs water on the land until it is thoroughly saturated. His records 

 do not show the financial advantages of irrigation, though he knows 

 that it pays well, and would not attempt to grow crops, in the dry sea- 

 son particularly, without irrigation. 



HITTINGER BROTHERS, BELMONT, MASS. 



This firm obtains its water from a brook and springs on the hillside 

 above its land and the cost of irrigation is limited to the expense of 

 piping and storage. The storage tank holds 50,000 gallons. Irriga- 

 tion is confined entirely to strawberries. Watering is begun when 

 the strawberries are small, using a 1-inch hose with an ordinary open 

 nozzle, but when the berries are ripening the land is flooded. At 

 each wetting about 10,000 gallons is used on 4.5 acres, or about 2^ 

 inches in depth. This is put on about once a week. One man can 

 irrigate three or four acres in five or six days, and the cost is limited 

 to the labor of the man. This year (1903) strawberries were irrigated 

 four times before the drought ended, and would not have produced 

 any fruit if irrigation had not been practiced. With irrigation 2,629 

 quarts were picked from 1 acre, and the berries sold at prices averag- 

 ing a'little more than 23 cents per quart, giving a gross return of more 

 than IGOO per acre. The firm has no definite idea of the cost of its 

 cistern and piping and could not estimate the total cost of watering 

 the berries, as the plant serves also to supply water to their green- 

 houses and washing tanks. 



