96 IRRIGATION. 



of course being provided. Rye grass, upon irrigated 

 fields richly fertilized, has grown at the rate of one inch 

 per day, and repeated cuttings have been made at inter- 

 vals of 14 days, during a season of several months. Crops 

 of grass upon irrigated fields of a total weight of more 

 than 8 O tons per acre, have been reported by trustworthy 

 English farmers in one season. 



Irrigated grass fields in Italy support easily two head 

 of fattening cattle per acre, every year, and have long 

 done so. In hundreds of localities in European coun- 

 tries are irrigated meadows, which have borne grass with- 

 out any sign of deterioration within the memory of the 

 inhabitants, or the knowledge of readers of local histories, 

 although the crop has been cut and removed every year 

 during this indefinite period. Whether or not these im- 

 mense yields could be further increased by more skillful 

 management is not necessary to inquire. These products 

 are so far beyond the dreams of an American farmer, that 

 they may well be considered fabulous. But there is no 

 reason to doubt the facts. On the contrary, they should 

 be used as a stimulus for us to adopt, wherever practi- 

 cable, the methods by which these crops are produced. 



The average product of grass upon our rich bottom 

 lands, will not exceed two tons per acre, and upon up- 

 lands one ton per acre is a fair average yield. After a few 

 years the best seeded of our meadows begin to deteriorate 

 and run out. A change of crop is made and the meadows 

 are once more seeded down to run out again in a few 

 years. The cause of the failure is the heats and drouths 

 which follow the hay harvest, and which cause a cessation 

 of growth until they are past. Beneath a temperature 

 which would be genial and invigorating to plant growth 

 with sufficient moisture, the grass dies for want of the 

 sustenance that water would afford. The most valuable 

 crop we grow is thus reduced in its possible yield one-half 

 or more. The only instance of an approach to permanent 



