84 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



they grow to perfection and to an immense size. A 

 15-pound Irish potato or a 30-pound sweet is pleasant 

 to look upon, but not so well adapted to culinary re- 

 quirements as those of a smaller and more convenient 

 size. With too much water or an abundant supply 

 potatoes become watery, for they are gross feeders 

 gluttons, in fact and they must be restrained. 



It is not desirable to plant potatoes in hills where 

 irrigation is practiced; better plant in rows on level 

 ground and then run water in a furrow between the 

 rows, which may be from three feet to four feet apart ; 

 the closer the rows the better, for then the vines will 

 shade more surface and retain the moisture longer. 

 In the rows plant the eyes from two to two and one- 

 half feet apart. In the arid and semi-arid regions it 

 is a good plan to plow under every third furrow, the 

 plowman dropping several cuttings at every long step 

 in the furrow. Of course, the soil must he well tilled 

 preparatory to planting, and in a moist condition, then 

 well harrowed and pulverized afterward. When the 

 plants are up about an inch or two, run the cultivator 

 through, or a small plow would be better, so that a 

 small furrow can be left between the rows, the earth 

 being thrown up against the plants. When the plants 

 are up a foot and tubers begin to form, run water 

 through the middle furrow for an hour or so and the 

 next day run plow back and forth, throwing the earth 

 over on the wet soil to form a ridge. The day after 

 level the ground with a cultivator and let it alone for 

 a week. After this, one more irrigation when the tu- 

 bers are about the size of a hazelnut, or filbert, will 

 be sufficient to mature the crop. The soil should al- 

 ways be kept open and the moisture near the surface, 

 for the potato has a tendency to crowd out of the soil. 

 In the arid regions a singular peculiarity of the early 

 potato is to grow to maturity before the plant is ready 

 to flower. This is owing to the rapid underground 

 growth and is of no consequence except that the tubers 

 are all the better for absorbing the nourishment that 

 should go into the flowers. Sweet potatoes have this 

 curious habit also. One case which has been called to 

 the attention of the author is that of a 2-rod row of 

 sweet potatoes. The vines refused to grow more than 

 an inch or two above the ground; they did not become 

 vines at all, but grew straight up as far as they grew 

 at all. Thinking they needed water, they were irri- 

 gated liberally, and every few days for three months 

 water was applied and the soil kept loose. Wearied 

 with the efforts to make these vinos grow, a wise 

 neighbor was called in, and after studying the mat- 

 ter for a few minutes and listening to what had been 

 done to encourage their growth he took a spade and 

 dug down into the head of the row, unearthing a 30- 

 pound sweet potato or yam. Continuing this explora- 

 tion all along the row, at least 100 sweet potatoes were 

 dug out varying from thirty pounds down to five 

 pounds. The growth had all been under ground, the 

 tubers taking all the nourishment, leaving none for 

 the tops. Cooking disclosed the fact that they were 

 very coarse and rank, unfit for human food but pleas- 

 ant to the palates of a pair of hogs which devoured 

 them with a relish and asked for more in their pe- 

 culiar language. 



For tubers generally, keep the water away from 

 them and give them moisture. This may be done by 

 permitting the furrow water to soak into the soil and 

 then throwing it o*ver toward the plants. Sub-irriga- 



tion is very favorable for the growth of tubers, and 

 when the land is drained and the soil kept well open 

 and finely pulverized there need be no fear of failure 

 to raise a crop. S'andy loam is the best soil, although 

 rich, well manured ground, consisting of mixed clay 

 and sand or loam, is productive of good crops, but the 

 richer the soil and the warmer, unless there is very 

 quick, almost hothouse growth, is liable to cause rot 

 or other diseases peculiar to tubers. 



Sweet potatoes may be grown to perfection, that 

 is they will grow to be sweet potatoes out of which the 

 sugar will bubble when baked, if planted in almost 

 pure sand. This, of course, in the humid regions, for 

 an arid sandheap would cook the cuttings before they 

 had a chance to sprout. 



Turnips, beets, carrots, parsnips, salsify and other 

 root crops will grow in any kind of soil if properly 

 tilled and well irrigated, but if succulence is an ob- 

 ject plant the seeds in rich, black loamy soil, plowed 

 deep and well pulverized. They may be irrigated at 

 any time the ground shows dryness by cutting a deep 

 furrow within a foot or eighteen inches of the plant, 

 taking care not to let the water reach the crown or 

 rot will ensue. Flooding should not be practiced ex- 

 cept in the case of field beets, and then only when 

 the leaves shade the ground. Clean and thorough 

 cultivation is necessary, and in the case of small roots 

 moisture rather than water should be supplied by run- 

 ning water in a furrow at least twelve inches distant 

 and then drawing the moist earth over toward the 

 plant the next day, covering the furrow immediately 

 upon completing the irrigation to prevent evaporation 

 and baking of the soil. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Here is where irrigation, can be made to shine 

 like a gem in a barren waste. Our markets are filled 

 with tasteless vegetables, unfit for table use. Without 

 flavor and stringy, the housewife buys them every day 

 because they represent green things and look plump, 

 as if filled with succulence. But they are like apples 

 of Sodom, or like the book St. John ate sweet in his 

 mouth and bitter in his stomach. 



The soil of a kitchen garden must be rich and ex- 

 tremely well tilled. It should be thoroughly broken 

 up and pulverized after plowing under well-rotted 

 manure. Fertilizers are unobjectionable, certainly, but 

 they do not tend to open the soil as does ordinary 

 barnyard manure. Besides, it is better to furnish 

 the soil with the elements out of which the plant can 

 manufacture its own food than furnish it with ready- 

 prepared material. They know what they want better 

 than man, and if it is not ready at hand they manu- 

 facture it. As is said in a preceding chapter, a plant 

 and the elements in the soil constitute a perfect chem- 

 ical laboratory, and any attempt to interfere with 

 nature is apt to -"boggle" the creative power of the 

 plant. It does not want help ; it must have material. 



For the purposes of irrigation the, land should be 

 level and slightly elevated to permit the flow of water. 

 Rather than flood the ground, as is a common practice, 

 it would be better to run a number of close furrows 

 and then turn the earth over as soon as the water 

 stops running. This will moisten the ground and put 

 it in better condition; moreover, it will give infiltra- 

 tion and capillary action a chance to operate and create 

 moisture. 



