SUCCESS IN MARKET GARDENING 



soil," or one considered naturally unfertile, may 

 be in fact good enough in itself, its only deficiency 

 being in the matter of moisture. We often see 

 a poor piece of land yielding a good crop in a 

 wet season; and artificial watering on a grand 

 scale has, in many well-known instances in Colo- 

 rado, California, and elsewhere, both at home 

 and abroad, converted absolute deserts into pro- 

 ductive grain farms and fruit and cattle ranches. 

 Although the rainfall during each year averages 

 about the same now as in former periods, the 

 seasons are changing in this respect: that the 

 rainfall is not so evenly divided, and we get longer 

 and more protracted droughts; not relieved by 

 the fact that the rainfalls, when they do come, 

 are heavier. For this reason the subject of irri- 

 gation is constantly gaining in importance. It 

 involves questions, both in regard to the supply of 

 water and the manner of applying it. Of course 

 there are many cases where land is not located 

 so as to be easily irrigated. Whatever the location 

 is, no matter if quite favourable, it will require 

 careful management in laying out the rows and 

 planting the crops, to secure a plan which will 

 allow of irrigating to the best advantage. The 



[20] 



