IRRir.ATION WITH RESERVOIR. 115 



upon a small piece of land. In the case of small fruits, where a 

 drought of even short duration may rob the j^rower of perhaps one- 

 half or more of his crop for the entire year, it is rather expensive, to 

 say the least, to be without that supply of water to tide you over. 



To those unacquainted with the facts, it will be a surprise to learn 

 how much the tendency to winter-kill and the short life of Minnesota 

 orchards is due to the lack of water; how many trees and plants 

 actuall\' starve to death during the lon<j winters, because they had 

 not suflicient water durin<;^ the growing' and maturing season to 

 carry the food to thetn to be stored up for their winters subsistence. 



I firmly believe that it behooves the fruit growers of the North- 

 west to give this subject more thougfht and more attention. Nearly 

 every one can in some way obtain a water supply at some time of 

 the year and store it up in a reservoir of some form or other so that it 

 will be of g-reat value when wanted. 



Talk it over and try it; it will pay j'ou. 



Mr. Bunnell: In irrigating lawns from wells, what effect 

 would it have? Would the grass look as green as if the water 

 had been brought from a lake? A party at Newport had a 

 lawn that would not color green. I do not know whether it was 

 because the w^ater was brought directly from the bottom of the 

 well or not. 



Mr. Richardson: In Winnebago City we have a dug well, 

 and the water should be very cold in the summer. The water 

 is applied directly on the lawns, and they are very green all 

 summer. 



Prof. Green: I have maintained a little lawn all summer by 

 putting the water on directly from the well. 



Mr. Kellogg, (Wisconsin): I w^ould like to ask Prof. Green if 

 it would pay to raise water seventy-five feet to irrigate a level 

 prairie. 



Prof. Green: I would like to have Mr. Hansen answer that 

 question. 



Mr. Hansen: I am very much interested in this matter of 

 irrigation. I think a great deal of it. although I cannot get 

 much use of it yet. You can never expect so much benefit the 

 first year. I hope to think it is a good investment, 



Mr. Brackett: How large is your reservoir? 



Mr. Hansen: 00 x 100 foet, dug in the hill and clay puddled. 



Mr. Wedge: How did you puddle it? 



Mr. Hansen: I put in suflicient water so as to make it best 

 to work, made a paste of it, then I put in my horses and kept 

 them driving and backing until I thought it was very solid. I 

 found it soaked con.siderable at first, but it kept getting closer 

 and closer, and I have a good deal of faith in it now. I keep 

 my ducks in there. I believe it is very tight now. 



