190 IRRIGATION FARMING. 



bakes the ground around the younger plants and induces 

 decay in the older ones. 



Cantaloupes. Lay out the rows the first week in 

 May and plant the hills eight by eight feet, putting in 

 long hills longitudinally with the irrigating furrows. 

 Some growers turn the water right on, having given no 

 irrigation before the seeds are planted. The plants 

 should be irrigated very thoroughly for half a day, when 

 two leaves are formed, then with a shovel plow cover the 

 water in the original furrow so as to retain the moisture 

 in the soil. Then take a one-horse five-shovel cultivator 

 and tear up the middle ground both ways across the 

 field, so as to get the best of the weeds. Take a hand 

 hoe and loosen the soil around the hills. Irrigate again 

 in two weeks, beginning the work at four o'clock in the 

 afternoon and allowing the water to run until nine or 

 ten o'clock at night. The young plants are very tender, 

 and cold water is likely to check their growth, but if 

 applied late in the afternoon the chill of the water is 

 greatly overcome by the heat of the ground. It is best 

 to furrow on one side only so as not to give too much 

 water, and plant on the northern slope of the hill. 

 When the plants go to vining the hilling-up is done, 

 care being taken not to allow the plow to run deep, 

 as there is thus danger of cutting the roots, in 

 which event the vines would suffer severely. Irrigation 

 should continue at intervals of every nine or ten (lay- 

 throughout the season, and more water is given after the 

 blossoming period than before, so as to continue the for- 

 mation and encouragement of the fruit buds thus mak- 

 ing the vines more prolific by continuing the bearing 

 season. The vines require more water during the fruit- 

 ing period, and larger and better crops will be the rule 

 when plenty of water is applied at this time. 



Pumpkins. For a pumpkin patch choose a light 

 soiL A sandy piece of bottom is just the thing, the 



