THE ART OF IRRIGATION. 



75 



When a row of trees is set on one of 

 these lines it makes a good guide for the 

 plow in the future, and as it is about as 

 easy to make curved furrows as straight 

 ones when you have a guide, there is no 

 trouble about having the intermediate 

 ones nearly parallel to those next the 

 trees. 



Sometimes these furrows are fed from 

 a row of hydrants at one end and if the 

 hill is very steep they are better than a 

 flume down which the water may rush too 

 fast. But you can use a flume with very 

 little loss of water from flying over, by 

 making it a little deeper than is needed 

 and laying it in steps with a slight cover- 

 ing at the points where the water is likely 

 to spill. But many flumes are laid staight 

 down the hill and made extra deep with 

 little cleats at the holes to throw out 

 enough water. If made deep enough 

 there is little loss from spilling. In other 

 respects this is just like the small furrow 

 method on common ground, and you will 

 soon forget all about the difference in 

 looks. 



Where basins are used they are made 

 very long and narrow so as to avoid hav- 

 ing the water too deep on the lower side. 

 And on this ground it is still more impor- 

 tant to feed the basins from furrows for 

 you will find any other method trouble- 

 some, where the slope is great. You must 

 in all cases use more care to keep the 

 water from escaping and cutting. 



An orchard laid out in this way and 

 well cultivated is liable to cut under 

 heavy rains. To prevent this, run all 

 plow and cultivator lines lengthwise of 

 the hill and none up or down or quarter- 

 ing. The water from the rain will then 

 get no such start as it otherwise would. 



In California the weeds and grass are 

 allowed to start with the first rains and 

 grow until spring. A very slight growth 

 is enough to bind the soil so that it will 

 not cut under a heavy run of water unless 

 too long continued. As the rains come 

 here in winter, when cultivation is of little 

 importance, no harm is done and the weeds 

 and grass are easily cleaned out in the 

 spring. 



Where a hillside is very steep terracing 

 often becomes the best mode of preparing 

 it for irrigation. The water is then run 

 along the terraces in small streams or 

 into checks or basins as desired. Some 

 very fine orchards and vineyards are now 



seen on hundreds of hills where but a few 

 years ago it looked as if a goat would 

 need several good props on the lower side 

 to enable him to feed. The terraces are 

 made broad or narrow according to the 

 depth of the soil, the character of the 

 crop and the way the water is to be ap- 

 plied, as well as the purse of the owner. 



Hillsides generally hold moisture well 

 on the northern slopes and dry out rapidly 

 on the southern. This must be remem- 

 bered in deciding what to plant on hill- 

 sides, as well as the difference in the time 

 of maturing the crop. Many things like 

 grapes and olives seem to do as well on 

 the steepest hills as elsewhere, the only 

 difference being in the ease of handling 

 water. Where you are using basins see 

 that the most water goes on the upper side 

 of everything. Otherwise there is little 

 difference between the steepest hill and 

 the flattest ground. 



NOT CONFINED TO ORCHARDS. 



Hillside irrigation is by no means con- 

 fined to trees. The same principle of 

 planting on the lines on which water will 

 run the best without cutting, apply as well 

 to most, all vegetables and garden stuff as 

 well as flowers. Nor is there any trouble 

 in growing alfalfa on considerable of a 

 slope if you once get it well started with- 

 out cutting. When well up the roots will 

 hold the soil against quite a run of water. 

 I know no place where large fields are 

 raised in this way because bottom land is 

 so much cheaper. But there are hundreds 

 of small patches that show plainly that it 

 can be easily raised on any slope on which 

 you can run a mower. And it takes less 

 water than flooding generally requires. 

 There is no reason why the same could 

 not be done with grain, provided the 

 ground were so wet at planting that no 

 more water was needed until the grain 

 was quite high, when the stalks and the 

 grass that would be among it would pre- 

 vent any cutting. The furrows must of 

 course be made before planting and then 

 not disturbed. If the water wanders out 

 of them in course of time it will make 

 little difference. 



WINTER IRRIGATION. 



Little attention is yet paid to winter 

 irrigation, because its necessity has not 

 been thoroughly felt. But time will see 

 the field of irrigation much extended by 



