Irrigating Peaches 309 



activities necessary to maintain the fertility of the soil 

 cannot take place if the soil is filled with free moisture for 

 any considerable period of time. Trees growing on such 

 soils will suffer in various ways or even die. 



Capillary moisture is the form which is of benefit to the 

 plants growing in the soil. This is the form of moisture 

 that is in soil that looks moist, feels moist to the touch, and 

 when pressed together firmly in the hand will adhere together, 

 but readily crumbles when broken apart. This form of 

 moisture exists in the soil as a thin film about the soil par- 

 ticles. It is this condition of soil-moisture that the grower 

 should aim to maintain so far as possible. 



In the matter of soil-moisture it will not suffice to be 

 guided by the appearance of the surface, since that may be 

 very deceptive so far as the condition of the subsoil is con- 

 cerned. With the aid of a post-hole digger or by some other 

 means, a grower should examine the soil frequently at a 

 considerable number of representative places in the orchard 

 to a depth of several feet, as far down at least as the roots 

 penetrate or perhaps even deeper than that. The subsoil 

 which holds the bulk of the root system may become too dry, 

 or the surface may be dry and a short distance below the 

 subsoil may be "water-logged," that is, filled with free water 

 that has not drained away. 



The character of the soil and its location will influence 

 greatly the frequency of the applications. Land naturally 

 well drained because of its location w^ill usually require more 

 irrigation than land that is poorly drained. Soil naturally 

 retentive of moisture will require less than very leachy 

 soil. Some soils, because of their texture, are almost im- 

 pervious to water. These are difficult to irrigate. They 

 should not be allowed to become very dry since in that 



