174 IKETGATIOX FARMING. 



a new crop of roots is formed. The irrigation should 

 begin by October 1, and the soil should be kept moist 

 through the winter and up to May 1, after which no 

 more water is needed until August 1, the harvest tak- 

 ing place late in September. Deep cultivation should 

 1)0 practiced after each irrigation, and between times if 

 the land requires it. With most lands five irrigations 

 should be given the year's crop and at least as many cul- 

 tivations. An average yield is anywhere from fifteen to 

 twenty tons to the acre, and the crop is gathered with a 

 potato digger. 



Meadows. Grasses may be irrigated at almost 

 any time during the season. The best native hay 

 grasses, the blue stems, poas, timothy, fescues, 

 grama, etc., produce stems just underneath or at the 

 surface of the ground. Wherever these underground 

 stems or rootstalks are broken, other stems and leaves 

 will grow. If these grasses are not thick enough, a 

 thorough harrowing in the spring before the water is 

 turned on answers the double purpose of breaking up 

 the rootstalks, causing the sods to thicken, increasing 

 the yield and leaving the ground in the best condition 

 for absorbing water. Native meadows should be sup- 

 plied with comparatively large amounts of water in the 

 spring before the stalks begin to shoot, if the rainfall 

 has been insufficient. No water should be given any 

 hay crop for some length of time before it is to be cut. 

 This allows the plant to store up larger amounts of nu- 

 trition, and the ground is firm and in good condition 

 for cutting and curing the hay. Alfalfa and other 

 clovers, where more than one crop is tb be harvested in 

 the season, should be quickly and thoroughly irrigated 

 soon after the previous crop has been removed. One 

 irrigation is usually sufficient for each crop. The same 

 treatment should be given native meadows which are to 

 be used for pasture. Tlio stubble is easy to irrigate, and 



