SOURCES OF WATER 49 



have been suggested in previous chapters and the ways to shape 

 garden practice to these local variations will naturally be dis- 

 cussed as we come to describe successful methods with the different 

 vegetables. Therefore let no man conclude that he cannot grow 

 vegetables until he completes his arrangement for irrigation unless 

 he is sure that his winter rainfall is too uncertain to grow even a 

 crop of wheat, for a rainfall that will carry the wheat plant to 

 maturity will also produce quite a variety of garden vegetables 

 with proper practice in early sowing and frequent cultivation. 



And from this low water mark the unirrigated garden pro- 

 ceeds upward with richer endowment of favoring local conditions, 

 insuring length of growing season and variety of vegetables until 

 it really becomes a question whether irrigation is needed at all. 

 It certainly is not for ample yield of many, possibly all, of the 

 staples of the garden, but to insure a succession of salads and 

 relishes, pot-herbs and legumes in short to enjoy the fullness of 

 the California season, the irrigated garden, we say again, and for 

 the last time we hope, is the thing to be diligently striven for. 



SOURCES OF IRRIGATION WATER. 



Whence the garden shall receive its water supply is a ques- 

 tion for each to determine according to his environment. Water 

 is now flowing over California gardens from various sources as 

 the result of all sorts of individual, co-operative and corporate 

 efforts and investments. It would require volumes to describe 

 them. Large irrigation enterprises are the joint work of engi- 

 neers and capitalists. That gardener is fortunate who has only 

 to buy his water from a fair-dealing ditch company or draw his 

 share from a co-operative water company in which he has an in- 

 terest. Such a source is best of all because causing least labor 

 and expense in average cases. Wherever the landowner can pro- 

 mote honestly and economically managed irrigation enterprises 

 for community use he should do it without an exhortation. But 

 to whatever extent this work is carried there will always remain 

 opportunities, probably, where farm gardens can command their 

 own irrigation supplies at a cost which will warrant the effort. 

 It is in this line that a few suggestions will be offered 



Surface Sources. In the unirrigated regions of the state 

 there are countless opportunities for home supplies of irrigation 



