16 IRRIGATION FARMING. 



right and irrigation might not be needed even once, but 

 they are rare. Usually there are several dry spells during 

 each year that cause serious injury to the crops, and 

 were irrigation possible all harm from this source might 

 be prevented. A very little water at the right time would 

 make all the difference with the crop and turn into success 

 what otherwise would have been a partial or total failure. 

 The work already put upon the land would be saved, as 

 well as sjeeds and plants. Satisfaction and plenty would 

 take the place of disappointment and scarcity. If eastern 

 pomologists would only adopt irrigation there would be 

 no good cause for having weakly plants and trees or for the 

 premature dropping of leaves. The buds would develop 

 early, and be plump and vigorous. There would be no 

 winterkilling of trees and plants because of their feeble 

 condition. Many things are considered tender that are 

 so in some places only because of their inability to make 

 sufficient growth to fortify against the evaporating influ- 

 ences of" the winter. 



It would not be reasonable to expect that any of the 

 many systems of irrigation can be applied to all sections 

 of our country, or to every farm in any section. Neither 

 is it always practicable that all of a large farm should be 

 placed under irrigation, except in rare cases. But where 

 there is now, or may be created a supply of water that 

 can be drawn upon in time of need for at least a small 

 part of the farm, it is a great mistake not to make uSe 

 of its benefits. There are special crops, such as aspara- 

 gus, celery and the strawberry, which need an amount of 

 water that is not required by most others, and which 

 could be grown much more cheaply than at present if 

 aided by irrigation. In this connection it might be well 

 to add that statistics show that in all rainy countries 

 that is, where the farmers depend upon the rains to 

 make their crops the seasons of drouth and the seasons 

 of too much rain constitute three out of every five, 



