THE QUESTION BOX. 



The Question Box shall be an " open parliament " for the discussion of the practical, every-day questions that perplex the 

 irrigation farmers. Questions will be answered by those men of long experience among our readers who are glad to give of their 

 knowledge for the common good. Further answers are solicited from any reader whose experience differs from that published 

 here. The editors reserve all rights of control of the department. 



Cultivation vs. Irrigation. !. C. V. - Some farmers 

 Claim .that thorough cultivation, ana two or three irrigations, 

 during the season is better than more irrigation. (1) Is this 

 true of potatoes? (2) Of what kind of fruits is it true? (3) 

 State approximate number of times for cultivation, and likewise 

 for irrigation in each case. (4) How late should deciduous fruits 

 be irrigated? and (5) how early in spring? 



(1) Yes, this is true also ot potatoes. But it does 

 not imply heavy irrigation. Potatoes should not be 

 irrigated deeper than half the height of the ridge in 

 which they stand. (2) It is true of all fruits. (3) 

 This depends much on soil and season. In general, 

 I would irrigate about three times, and cultivate as 

 soon after each irrigation as the soil could be worked 

 to prevent baking. If weedy, it might be necessary 

 to cultivate two or three times more. (4) Not later 

 than the formation of winter buds, which will vary 

 with the kind of fruit. (5) When buds begin to 

 swell. PROF. G. C. GEORGESON, Kans. Ag. College. 



There are so many conditions to be taken into ac- 

 count, it is impossible to give an answer to these 

 questions that would answer for different localities 

 and seasons. Both trees and vegetables require irri- 

 gation earlier in the season some years than in others, 

 owing to amount of snow or rain during the winter 

 months, and the frequency depends largely on the 

 thoroughness of the work and the cultivation follow- 

 ing. (1) (2) (3) My experience in this soil and 

 climate teaches me that in most seasons four thor- 

 ough irrigations are sufficient for fruit trees, and pota- 

 toes require it every two or three weeks, depending 

 to some extent on the weather. Hot winds carry off 

 the moisture very fast. Proper cultivation as soon 

 as the soil is sufficiently dry after each irrigation will 

 save half of the irrigation. (4) A thorough irriga- 

 tion in the fall as late as can be done, say in Novem- 

 ber, will save the first spring irrigation and be better 

 for the fact that the moisture will get evenly distrib- 

 uted through the soil where every root-fiber can feed 

 on it. (5) Our first irrigation in the spring is usually 

 in April, and is required as much on the first some 

 years as on the last in other years, so the only answer 

 is, do it when the soil needs it. C. P. WILCOX, 

 Yakima County, Washington. 



METHODS ABOUT GREELEY, COLORADO. 



The writer has but little experience in fruit culture, 

 but may say that in this State the rule is to water as 

 late as you can get the water. This keeps the soil cold 

 and prevents buds from starting early. It also pre- 

 vents the south side of trees from drying up as they are 

 sure to do in warm spells in winter and spring if 

 the earth is dry around the roots. As the soil may 

 dry out during a winter without much snow fall, it is 

 wise after such a winter to apply the water as early 

 as it can be had or got to run, which will vary with 

 the climate. In the immediate vicinity of Greeley 

 we know more about potato culture than orcharding, 

 but before treating of our methods in raising this 

 crop let me say that for small grain and alfalfa, crops 

 that of course are not cultivated after sowing, we 

 regard two good deep irrigations during the season 

 enough and much preferable to a number of light 

 ones. Light irrigations scarcely reach the roots and 

 are evaporated in a few days, while a deep irrigation 



takes a good part of the water below surface evapor- 

 ation and supplies through the roots the water needed 

 to carry on the healthy functions of the plants. Of 

 course a portion of a heavy irrigation gets below 

 the reach of the roots and is lost to that crop. How- 

 ever, if the soil immediately below the roots is damp, 

 this dampness will to some extent work up and keep 

 the plants growing and for a time dew will be formed 

 on the leaves at night. As long as this takes place 

 the crop is not suffering. In the case of an old stand 

 of alfalfa it will be a very heavy irrigation that will 

 go below its roots. Still, running on water for, 

 say a week, will injure alfalfa, and keeping it up for 

 two weeks in hot weather has been known to kill it. 



We will now give what we consider the best 

 method of cultivating and irrigating a potato crop. 

 Plow deep, nine to ten inches, harrow and level 

 down the day's plowing every evening if the weather 

 is at all dry. If the ground is not moist deep enough 

 so that the soil will turn over mellow, it ought to be 

 irrigated before plowing. This is especially advis- 

 able if either manure or alfalfa are to be turned 

 under. We here plant with an Aspinwall planter. 

 This leaves slight ridges over the potatoes. A 

 few days after planting we go over with two-horse 

 cultivator, letting the shovels go about as deep as the 

 plowing. This is to prevent baking of the soil from 

 the walking of four horses and the wheels of planter 

 over surface. Slight ridges are thrown up over the 

 potatoes which are harrowed down about level in the 

 course of about ten days, when the potatoes will be 

 about coming through the ground. This harrowing 

 is best done in a direction diagonal to the rows. Its 

 object is to kill the young weeds and will not injure 

 the potato sprouts. After these are two or three 

 inches up, cultivate again, using fenders to keep the 

 dirt from covering up the young plants too much. 



A third cultivation is given without the fenders 

 before the young weeds have got out of the seed 

 leaf. This is followed by deep furrowing out, either 

 with a shovel plow with wings on it or with a lister. 

 This is to prepare for irrigation. In a season of 

 ordinary spring rainfall the crop under this culture 

 will be growing well and the plants beginning to 

 blossom. The water should be run in the furrows 

 between the rows long enough to wet through the 

 ridges, which may be found out by digging in with a 

 shovel. It will take longer to effect this if the rows 

 are steep. Also, if there is not a pretty stiff subsoil 

 under, there is a tendency for the water to go down 

 instead of sidewise under the rows. Such soil is not 

 well adapted to potato culture. 



If the weather is dry within about three days after 

 irrigation, the soil in bottom and sides of the furrows 

 should be slightly disturbed so as to prevent it from 

 forming a crust. This may be done with the same 

 implement that made the furrows, but a tool with 

 small teeth set in a shape to scratch bottom and 

 sides is preferable. One other irrigation will usually 

 be sufficient and if the crop is a good one the plants 

 will be meeting across the rows so that the water 

 will flow slowly and they will shade the ground so as 

 to prevent baking. If you have the water for a third 

 irrigation, it is likely to increase the yield, but two, 

 usually, will make a good crop. DAVID BOYD. 



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