HOW TO MAKE BOARD FLUMES Igl 



service will always be rendered by the home-made board flume 

 where suitable lumber is cheap. A detailed account of its construc- 

 tion and operation will be widely useful. The following is con- 

 tributed to Mr. A. S. Bradford, of Orange county : 



I consider the board flume best, because it is in many places cheapest 

 and because it will last fifteen or twenty years in California if made of good 

 soft redwood. The common redwood lumber is generally so, but the so-called 

 flume lumber is hard, generally, and will warp the flume out of shape. Even 

 in the common redwood lumber hard pieces will be found, and these should 

 be avoided. My first flume has been in use nine years and is apparently as 

 good as ever. 



The first thing to be considered is getting a flume put in properly, as 

 this alone will cause much trouble if not done right. A flume should run 

 nearly on a level. It should be placed about two-thirds in the ground at the 

 commencement, and as soon as it comes out of the ground to about two- 

 thirds of its height, there should be a drop made of 1, 2, or 3 inches, is 

 necessary, and then carried along as before, so as to keep the entire length 

 of flume practically on a level. 



Sixteen-foot lumber is better than longer, as it is lighter to handle. I 

 prefer 8-inch sides with 18-inch bottom, or, on some cases, 10-inch sides 

 with 16-inch bottom. The first section, however, should be about 2 feet 

 wide, narrowed to the size of the flume, so as to control the stream. Collars 

 should be put around the flume every 8 feet of distance; that is, one in the 

 center and one to cover the joints at each end. These collars should be 2 

 by 3 inch stuff on the bottom and sides and 1 by three inches on top. This 

 makes a strong, durable flume. The length of the flume should be divided 

 so that the stream will decrease as it goes along. The width should be 

 decreased also, say from 16 inches to 14, 12, 10 and 8 inches, the sides being 

 the same throughout or reduced so as to have 10-inch sides on the 16-inch 

 bottom and 8-inch sides on the rest, nailed to the side of the bottom, making 

 7 inches depth inside. Two-inch holes should be about 30 inches apart and 

 2-inch gates placed on the inside instead of outside, as they will collect less 

 trash, the hole through the wood, if uncovered, making a lodgment for 

 leaves, etc. In the narrow and flat flume it is much easier to fix the gates. 



From 8 to 9 furrows for trees set 24 feet apart is sufficient. The streams 

 should be run from one-eighth to one-half the capacity of the holes in the 

 flume, according to the soil and fall of ground. I commence the stream 

 small and increase it if necessary later on. The streams should be kept as 

 near together as possible, and when the end is reached the gate should be 

 nearly closed down, so as to allow the stream to just trickle to the end. In 

 this manner the soil will become thoroughly wet from one end to the other. 

 The streams should be run very slowly on most of our soils. A great many 

 failures have been made on hard soils by running the stream too large and 

 then reducing it. This seems to "slick" or cement the soil so that it will not 

 take the water, and the consequence is a poor and unsatisfactory irrigation. 

 On the other hand, if the streams are started small and allowed to soak 

 the ground as they go along, it is simply astonishing how much water can 

 be put in the ground. On sandy soils the streams should be larger. A little 

 practice would give anyone the desired information. 



About three rows of trees at the lower end should be blocked up, pro- 

 vided one has no place where the overflow water could be used. This last 

 provision is the better, however, as there would be only about 10 inches of 

 water run over the last three or four hours, and a thorough job would be 

 done from one end to the other. 



In making furrows I have an extension made for my cultivator to bolt on 

 each side and use four plows. With this extension I can wet the whole 

 ground thoroughly. The furrows will extend under the limbs of the trees, 

 and by making a slight curve around each tree the ground will become 

 wet in the rows as well as between. 



As compared with the check system, the furrow method, properly handled, 

 makes the soil light and loose, while the check system is apt to pack the 



