THE DIVERSIFIED FARM. 



In diversified farming by irrigation lies the salvation of agriculture. 



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Short, practical articles, notes of experience and observation, are invited from the readers of THE IRRI- 

 GATION AGE who are interested in the promotion of the idea of the small diversified farm providing to the 

 fullest economical extent all of the various articles of food, clothing, etc., required by the family. 



DEEP IRRIGATION. 



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BY JOEL SHOEMAKER. 



ATER is valuable to crops just in proportion to 

 the manner of application. Some soils admit 

 of flooding, others do better under seepage, 

 whil e nearly every character of land produces the 

 best crops by furrow irrigation. The principal ob- 

 ject in producing moisture is to get it in the place 

 where the growing crops demand nourishment. Very 

 few crops require surface irrigation and hence flood- 

 ing is not the most advisable method of applying 

 water, except to such plants as require dew and 

 moisture on the top of the ground. The best re- 

 sults are usually attained by irrigating in deep fur- 

 rows. 



The furrows should be so constructed that water 

 will not flow too treely and wash away the soil. A 

 gradual slope is the better plan for making good 

 ditches and will always produce better crop results. 

 The water should never touch such crops as beans, 

 peas and corn. Shallow surface irrigation will always 

 result in decreasing the production of all crops grown 

 above ground. The root crops, especially sweet po- 

 tatoes, peanuts and Irish potatoes, will be better in 

 quality and more productive in quantity if water is 

 kept away from the roots and tops while growing. 

 The rust and scab frequently noticed on root crops 

 can be avoided by deep irrigation and keeping the 

 water away from the growing bulbs. 



Furrows should always be made and water run 

 through them once before the crop is planted. This 

 serves a double purpose of showing the high places 

 in the land and evenly and properly distributing the 

 moisture for germinating the seed. New land should 

 be furrowed out and irrigated once after the first 

 plowing and then plowed over and leveled before 

 planting. Small shovel plows are good implements 

 for making irrigating furrows. They throw the soil 

 on either side and thus make embankments for pre- 

 venting the water from spreading over the surface. 

 If the plow does not run deep enough the beam 

 should be weighted sufficiently for the purpose. 



Growing crops demand moisture but do not require 

 water. If too much water is placed on or near the 

 surface it will cause the alkali in the soil to rise and 

 crust around the vegetable plants. Deep irrigation 

 has a tendency to draw off the alkaline substance. 

 The moisture does not rise to the surface and conse- 

 quently does no harm in baking or crusting. Deep 

 furrows place the moisture where it properly belongs 

 and allows the water to permeate the undisturbed 

 space between the sub and surface soils. The water 

 forms pathways that by circulatory veins keep the 

 soil enlivened and prevents the loggy sourness notice- 

 able in shallow irrigation. 



Soil can be more quickly cultivated after a period 

 of irrigation if the water has been applied through 



178 



deep furrows. Weeds grow fast and cultivation is 

 necessary. If soil is stirred when wet it will bake. 

 If the plants are cultivated while wet they will be- 

 come diseased with a rot which will destroy the yield. 

 Surface irrigation by flooding or through shallow fur- 

 rows brings upon the land an immense amount of 

 noxious weed seeds. The common water grass and 

 sand burrs, so destructive of crops, are nurtured by 

 surface irrigation. Make deep ditches and keep the 

 water from the surface you rid your lots to a certain 

 extent of those pests. 



Deep irrigation admits of better openings being 

 made in the main or sub head ditches and allows a 

 more even and systematic distribution. A small 

 stream will trickle along a deep furrow and seep out 

 on either side giving moisture to the roots of plants, 

 when a greater stream would evaporate or be swal- 

 lowed by the dry soil within a few rods if put in a 

 shallow furrow. The water should not spread over 

 the surface either by seepage or flooding. It makes 

 the land unfit for passing over in changing the fur- 

 rows. Where a man sinks into the soil on account of 

 too much water the plant life for that season is de- 

 stroyed. 



NECESSITY OF SPRAYING. 



O PRAYING fruits and vegetables has now become 

 ^ a necessity, in order to fight and ward off the 

 attacks ot insects and fungoid parasitic dis- 

 ease. 



It has been estimated by those competent to judge 

 that these pests annually destroy 500,000,000 worth 

 of produce for the farmers and orchardists of the 

 United States, and it is believed that much of the 

 success of California fruit raisers can be accounted 

 for by their intelligent use of spraying machines, 

 etc. 



The philosophy of spraying, is simply that of a 



Eractical method of distributing poisons on the sur- 

 ice of trees, shrubs, vines and plants; in such a man- 

 ner that they will kill fungous pests and insects, which 

 come in contact with them. 



If the farmer and orchardist has a general knowl- 

 edge of the habits, methods and development of in- 

 jurious insects and fungoid growths, he will be better 

 prepared to fight them. Nearly all these organisms 

 are easier to destroy at some one time of their exist- 

 ence than any other, therefore a knowledge of their 

 habits and life history is essential to success. 



This, however, may be a study which the busy 

 farmer and fruit grower has no time to undertake, 

 even granting he had the inclination and previous 

 necessary training. 



Knowing these facts, THE IRRIGATION AGE last 

 month gave a spraying table, embodying the experi- 

 ence of practical and scientific men, together with 

 formulas for making the various mixtures. 



