IRRIGATION 



If it is possible do your irrigating in the late 

 afternoon or evening, because the freshness and 

 darkness of night will be helping your plants too; 

 but if you cannot, then water in the early, early 

 morning before the heat of the day arrives. If you 

 cannot do it at either end of the day you may do it 

 at another time, but you will have to be more sure 

 you give them a lot of water than at either night or 

 morning, because a little water would only burn 

 your plants up by drawing the roots to the surface, 

 where the sun could scorch them. 



It is always wise to cultivate the soil as soon after 

 irrigating as you can do it and not make the soil 

 lumpy. Sandy loam can be cultivated the next day 

 or the second day after, but clay and shale soils must 

 stand longer before they can be cultivated. A heavy 

 wetting packs the soil down tight, doesn't it? Then 

 the hot sun dries the surface, it begins to crack, and 

 the moisture you sent away down so the roots could 

 have it will escape through the cracks unless you fill 

 them up. So cultivation after irrigation counts 

 more than two irrigations, because it is putting the 

 soil into better condition. Always watch the condi- 

 tion of ycur garden soil and try to make it better 

 every year. Potters cannot make fine dishes or 

 beautiful vases unless their clay is in good condition 



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