IRRIGATION 



269 



medium amount of water applied throughout its grow- 

 ing season. Being a southern plant adapted to warm, 

 open soils, it does best if not watered too heavily at one 

 time. This is particularly true on soils which are dense 

 and cold. The experience of local growers and the 

 instruction emanating from the agricultural colleges, 

 state experiment stations and the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture should be of the greatest value to 

 those who are studying how and when to apply water 

 and the quantities best to use at each application. Ex- 

 tensive studies 

 of when to ir- 

 rigate each 

 crop, how to 

 apply the 

 water, how 

 much to apply 

 and the manner 

 of after cul- 

 tivation are 

 being made by 

 the United 

 States Depart- 

 ment of Agri- 

 culture and by 

 various state 

 experiment sta- 

 tions, and by a 

 letter of inquiry 



the farmer or teacher can easily find how to secure 

 literature giving these facts. 



Very often the farmer cannot entirely control the time 

 of application of irrigation water: the needs of other 

 farmers, the priority of rights, the available supply of 

 water in stream or reservoir, and his own convenience 

 in looking after the application of the water in connec- 



Figure 171. Flooding from ditches running down the slope. 



