552 



THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



for filling by placing his foot on the blade, which is on the ground, and 

 giving the rope a sharp pull. For the purpose of emptying the scoop he 

 raises the handle gradually while the horses are moving, and the earth 

 empties itself slowly out and is distributed evenly over the ground. It is 

 not dumped into a heap asis usually the case with scoops. 



J* 



Fig. 3. — Home-made Leveller at Work. 



Careful yoking of the horses is necessary to prevent "see-sawing," and the 

 balance of the scraper must be regulated by the point of attachment of the 

 draw chains. 



Making the Check Banks. 



The method of irrigation adopted is flooding, but flooding over limited 

 areas, and between check banks that run down the field in the direction of 

 the fall. The formation of these check banks is the next operation. They 

 are placed half a chain apart and are formed by throwing two furrows 

 together with a single-furrow plough. The soil is then filled into the furrow 

 with a road grader to which is attached a long blade made on the farm, so 

 that the soil is levelled and the banks strengthened. The preservation of 

 these banks throughout the life of the lucerne stand is essential, for they are 

 a most important feature in thorough and efficient application of the water. 

 Hence, on account of these banks, as well as the preservation of a level 

 surface beween them, all subsequent work must be in the same direction — 

 that is, from head ditch to drain. The ends of the checks have to be finished 

 off by hand, as the road-making or levelling machine referred to will not 

 work right to the end of the paddock. 



It is most essential that the blocks should not be too long ; in other words, 

 the distance between the head ditch and the drain at the lower end should 

 not be more than 6 or 7 chains. At that length the levels can be easily 

 obtained, and an even flow of water from the upper end to the lower assured, 

 but longer blocks are irrigated with difficulty. On a block made 15 chains 

 long some years ago, it was found that the upper end of the. lucerne had got 

 too much water before the lower end had got any at all. 



The drain along the lower end of the paddock is quite essential, as every 

 irrigationist well knows. Stagnant water is a thing not to be tolerated on a 

 well-managed irrigation farm ; hence, drainage must be provided as a con- 

 comitant of the head ditch, or damage will certainly occur. 



