22 



season lasting from May to August. Crops never receive more than 

 four irrigations per year. 



Labor costs SI. 20 ])er day and it requires one day to irrigate one- 

 half of an acre, only one-fourth of the time of one man being consumed 

 in moving the sprinkler. The yield per acre of celery brings on an 

 average SI, 600, and of lettuce, of which two crops are raised, Sl,600 

 for both crops. The value of irrigated land is over $400 per acre, and 

 of nonirrigated land S 10 to $100 per acre. The owner estimates that 

 irrigation is worth to him at least $500 clear gain a year. The cost of 

 the plant was $450, of which the well cost $100, the windmill SlOO, the 

 pipe SlOO, ram and pipe $50, and labor $100. 



An earth tank built on a hillside for use in irrigation would not hold 

 water, owing to the nature of the soil. 



No. 17. C. Mc Williams, of Northumberland County, irrigates 1| 

 acres from a creek. Water is stored in an earth tank with a capacity 

 of 180,000 gallons. Water is taken from the reservoir by a 2i-inch 

 supply pipe 250 feet long,' from which U-inch feeders branch out for 

 the irrigation of the land. Hose is used to supply water to furrows. 

 About 6 feet of head forces the water through the pipes and delivers a 

 flow of 10 gallons per minute, which requires eighteen minutes to flow 

 through a furrow 320 feet long. This rate of flow will irrigate one-half 

 of an acre in twelve hours. The irrigation season lasts from May to 

 the middle of October, the land being irrigated every two to seven days 

 in dry weather. 



The value of the yield per acre is $450. On an average, irrigation 

 increases the value of the crops $70 an acre. Although 1905 was a 

 wet year, no other property in the vicinity gave as good crops of beets, 

 lettuce, and celery. The value of unirrigated land is $50 per acre. 

 The owner estimates the value of irrigated land at considerably over 

 $100 per acre. The total cost of reservoir and plant was $200. 



XEW JERSEY. 



The New Jersey Experiment Station at New Brunswick has made 

 many interesting irrigation experiments, the results of which are pub- 

 lished in bulletins of this office. « Water for irrigation is obtained from 

 the city mains and applied by the furrow system, the ground during 

 dry weather being watered every seven days. The usual depth of irri- 

 gation is 2 inches. The experience here shows that in humid climates 

 light irrigations are preferable, since a heavy rain following an irriga- 

 tion is liable to swamp the land. 



No. 18. F. W. Kilbourne, of Middlesex County, irrigates 2 acres 

 of truck from the New Brunswick citj' waterworks at the rate of 

 $1 per thousand cubic feet. From two to three crops are grown 

 on the same ground, each crop usually receiving one irrigation and 



aU. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Experiment Stations Buls. 36 and 87. 



