MEADOWS AND PASTURES. 133 



excess, than on the contrary, may be remembered as a 

 caution and safeguard. Still there is less danger from 

 excess in irrigating grass than any other crop. 



It might be well to explain at this point that the ar- 

 rangement here described for making water meadows is 

 exactly applicable to cranberry plantations which require 

 to be flooded. In many cases the slope of such planta- 

 tions is too great, and consequently there is either an in- 

 jurious depth of water flowed upon the vines, or the water 

 is not in sufficient supply to permit the covering of the 

 upper portion of the field, and the expense of making 

 the necessary high banks is too onerous. By laying out 

 the meadow as is shown in profile at fig. 57, and in plan 

 at fig. 58, each plot can be flooded to a moderate and 

 sufficient depth with the expenditure of a minimum 

 quantity of water. The cost of making several low 

 banks and smaller drains is not more than that of mak- 

 ing one high bank and wide deep drain, and the crop is 

 not injured by an excessive depth of water. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



IRRIGATION OF MEADOWS AND PASTURES. 



While the irrigation of grass land, situated in a river 

 bottom, and having either a level surface or one with 

 but very little slope, as has been described in the previous 

 chapter, is an easy matter, and when the supply of water 

 is ample is the most effective method of making a water 

 meadow, yet the proportion of farms possessing the re- 

 quisite facilities for a water meadow is comparatively 

 small. Where therefore, there is but a small supply of 

 water and no broad level space of ground, the meadow 



