SAVING WATER FOR THE GARDEN 41 



ping would indicate. A short pipe line would deliver water in the 

 tops of the buildings if desired and would generously irrigate all 

 the land needed for the family garden. And yet the hillsides are 

 full of unused springs. One has, however, to be very careful about 

 handling a spring. Good springs have been lost by excavating or 

 blasting for the purpose of increasing the flow. Sometimes it has 

 caused the spring to disappear entirely. At the same time the flow 

 has been increased on some springs by careful opening, cleaning 

 out interfering dirt and rubbish so as to open the exit of the water 

 without opening other exits for its escape. When this is done, 

 cementing around to prevent loss of water by seepage is often 

 effective in increasing the flow or at least conserving it so that a 

 better run of water is obtained. 



Between the hills above the building sites there are many inter- 

 vales which are impassable in the rainy season and covered with a 

 growth of sedges and swamp grass all summer. They are natural 

 reservoirs of greater or less capacity, holding the surface water 

 and underflow from the hillsides. In the dry season plowing and 

 scraping will easily fashion a small reservoir at the lowest point 

 of the intervale and a pipe line will bring down w r ater at least for 



Boggy Land Caused by Seepage. 



irrigation, if it is not suited for other uses. Or if there be below 

 a better site for a reservoir, underdrainage of the swamp will turn 

 it to the growth of good grasses while the outflow from the drains 

 can be converted into garden crops below. 



Again even when the surface after the rainy season shows no 

 sign of moisture, it is often possible to keep a good supply in sight 

 by closing some small vale and dry-creek bed with a darn to hold 

 for summer use in the garden some part of the volumes of water 

 which rush down from the water-shed during the winter rains. 



All these are elementary problems in water developing and 

 water saving. It would reflect upon the speaker's intelligence to 

 mention them in some parts of the state, and yet in the unirrigated 

 regions there lie these neglected opportunities monuments of in- 

 attention or unthrift. 



