176 THE CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



when it is full, the water may he discharged by an auto- 

 matic arrangement (such as is described in the Authors work 

 on Irrigation for the Farm, Garden, and Orchard; in which 

 the full details of the preparation of the land and all ap- 

 pliances for the use of the water in the culture of all kinds 

 of crops, are given). 



In many cases, the water of springs rising on high ground 

 may be used for partial irrigation of grass lands, by con- 

 veying it in furrows back and forth down the slope, at such 

 an inclination as will cause a sufficient flow. In this method 

 a furrow is turned down the slope so as to form a channel 

 for the flow of water. Here and there the furrow slice is- 

 cut through, and the water is permitted to escape down the 

 slope. By stopping these openings with sods, the flow is. 

 stopped, and turned through others on to fresh ground. 

 This simple method of irrigation may be made available on 

 many farms, where now the water escaping uncontrolled, is 

 a source of injury to the land. 



In other cases, a number of springs, the waters from which 

 formed previously a useless swamp, have been connected by 

 ditches, and the gathered water conveyed on to lower land 

 for watering the grass. Thus a serious and injurious evil 

 has been turned to a double benefit, by reclaiming, upon 

 one hand, a useless marsh, and greatly increasing the pro- 

 duct of land which formerly suffered by want of sufficient 

 water. All these different points should be studied by the 

 farmer, who may be on the alert to turn every opportunity 

 which comes to him, to his own advantage. 



But there are other methods which may be turned to 

 profitable uses under circumstances which at first sight 

 might seem to be unavailable. The water may be raised 

 by mechanical means, from rivers on to lands upon a high- 

 er level. Several cases have come to the Authors notice in 

 his practice as an Agricultural and Hydraulic engineer, in 

 which land has been irrigated in this way; the* water hav- 

 ing been raised from rivers and small streams by the mo- 

 tive power of the streams themselves. A very simple water 

 wheel moved by the current, works a force pump, by which 



