144 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Fig. 2570. Diagram Showin ; Normai, A^'nuai, 



Precipitation in Inches, at Points 



IN Canada. 



At points in Old Ontario, about 50 pcr 

 cent. of the total annual precipitation occur- 

 red during the inactive season — October to 

 March. At Toronto, 15.82 inches fall dur- 

 ing this period, sufficient to supply the 12 

 inches mentioned above as necessary to 

 saturate to a depth of four feet, and to allow 

 nearly 4 inches for drainage, seepage, and 

 run-off. For Old Ontario, therefore, the 

 point is established that there is a sufficient 

 supply of moisture to begin with. For Port 

 Arthur, as representing the west of New 

 Ontario, the 7.13 inches that fall during \ht 

 inactive season will saturate the ground only 

 to about a depth of 30 inches. At HaHfax 

 there is enough for the purpose mentioned, 

 and over 20 inches to spare. At Prince Al- 

 bert the precipitation from October to 

 March, 4.85 inches, would saturate the 

 ground only to a depth of about 20 inches, 

 which is quite insufficient. Prince Albert 

 is within the arid, or semi-arid belt of the 

 Canadian Northwest. 



In respect of winter precipitation, the con- 

 ditions that prevail in Old Ontario are by far 

 the most desirable of those above described. 

 To have just enough, and not enough in ex- 

 cess to produce destructive surface washing 

 or to water-log the land, is the most desir- 

 able condition. But while we have enough. 



we have none to waste. V\'e cannot afford 

 to be prodigal of our resources in this re- 

 spect. The heavens may yield their show- 

 ers, and the land may be as iron — impene- 

 trable. Unless the surface soil and the 

 subsoil are sufficiently pervious to allow the 

 water to enter, the ground will remain with- 

 out moisture. It is the business of every 

 farmer and fruit grower, as was shown ui 

 the previous article of this series, to prepare 

 the land in the autumn so that it will absorb 

 the maximum amount of water. 



3. Hoiv to make sure of a crop ivithout 

 depending upon summer rains. 



If we can thus make sure of a crop, it is 

 a good thing, for the summer rains are un- 

 certain both in quantity and effect. It is a 

 safe position, therefore, to take, that the 

 more nearly we approach this independence 

 the better it will be. And as for the sum- 

 mer rains, we must contrive to make the 

 most of them when they are effective, and, 

 when they are too light to be favorably effec- 

 tive to prevent them from doing harm. 



There are four methods by which mois- 

 ture may escape from the soil : 



Seepage and underdrainage. 



Surface drainage. 



Evaporation into the atmosphere. 



Transpiration from the leaves of plants. 



In the summer the first two modes operate 

 but rarely, and only in cases of excessive 

 rainfall. But the other two, evaporation 

 and transpiration, are very active. It is the 

 business, therefore, of cultivation to reduce 

 both these modes of loss to the lowest possi- 

 ble quantity. The opportunities for doing 

 this, as represented by the different methods 

 of orchard cultivation now in vogue, will 

 now be considered. 



First, it is well known, better known than 

 practised, that a loose covering or mulch 

 upon the soil will check evaporation to a re- 

 markable degree. It is equally well known 

 that land bearing a crop of any kind, grain, 

 grass, roots, or weeds, is usually much drier 



