123 Vegetable Growing in Southern Arizona. 



soon afterwards, the object being to furnish by irrigation water for 

 germinating the seed. This is the method pursued with most 

 vegetables planted during the summer and early autumn, when 

 evaporation is so rapid that the soil about the seed becomes dry 

 very rapidly; and is necessary at other times of the year in sowing 

 small seed. Ordinarily, unless great care is exercised, as good a 

 stand of young plants is not secured by this method as by those 

 previously described. 



4. A fourth method, practiced by some growers, is to throw 

 up permanent ridges along the sides of which the seed is planted 

 and between which the irrigating water is run. This system is 

 applicable to the growing of nearly all vegetables, and in some 

 soils gives fair results. Tittle or no opportunity is afforded or 

 cultivation, especially with a horse, thus requiring much hand 

 labor when weeds are growing vigorously. 



It will be obvious that the preparation needed for irrigation 

 must be varied to suit the soil, the plant to be grown, the time of 

 year the planting is being made, and the convenience of the grower- 



IRRIGATION. 



In southern Arizona irrigation of all vegetables is essential. 

 No definite rules can be laid down to govern those without pre- 

 vious experience along this line. The amount and frequency of 

 the application of water will depend on the soil, the condition of 

 the weather and the vegetables being grown. 



The heavier (that is, the finer) the soil, the more water and 

 the longer time will be required to saturate it, and, as a rule, the 

 longer it will remain moist. Coarse sandy soils are more easily 

 and quickly saturated, and retain water a shorter time. During 

 dry, warm, or windy days soil loses its moisture much more rapid- 

 ly than during moist, cool, or quiet ones; and the need of irriga- 

 tion will be hastened. But whatever the soil, the weather or the 

 vegetables, it has been pretty well demonstrated that at each irri- 

 gation the soil should be thoroughly soaked with water. The 

 frequency of these soakings will be determined by the above fac- 

 tors, but the thoroughness of the operation will not be. One 

 thorough irrigation followed by proper cultivation will, as a rule, 



