CHAPTER VI. 

 GARDEN DRAINAGE IN CALIFORNIA. 



It may be remarked, as a generalization based upon a wide 

 view of our two-season year, that the secret of success in California 

 vegetable growing consists in getting plants "out of the wet" at 

 one time and into it at another. It would, perhaps, be more exact 

 to say that success lies in securing generous but not excessive moist- 

 ure at all times, and this is essential to the best growth of the plant 

 in any climate. And yet so strikingly antithetical are our moisture- 

 extremes at the heights of the two seasons, and so characteristic, 

 both in times and methods, are the policies and practices by which 

 we modify both to the best advantage, that the world-wide princi- 

 ples to which they conform are out of sight of the casual observer. 

 For it is not only that we have always to guard against extremes of 

 saturation and aridity and keep the plant along the lines of suffi- 

 ciency that is the universal proposition. In addition to this Cali- 

 fornia, speaking generally, has to do special work against one ex- 

 treme at one time and against the other extreme at another time ; 

 hence the opening remark. 



Regulation of moisture in California either involves more con- 

 siderations than are usually recognized in humid climates or in- 

 volves them in higher degree and imputes to them increased signifi- 

 cance. Choice of location and soil ; time and method of planting and 

 cultivation; the choice of the crop with reference to natural moist- 

 ure supply and the atmospheric conditions ; the employment of irri- 

 gation ; and the desirability, or otherwise, of artificial drainage facili- 

 ties all these are factors which are perhaps more sharply concerned 

 in results here than in humid climates, because our extremes, in all 

 except low temperatures, are more exacting. Correct practice here 

 gives grand results, but ill-timed or illy adapted practice does not 

 give merely less satisfactory results: it may invite failure. Our 

 drainage proposition must always be conditioned upon proper con- 

 servation of moisture, and as will be seen as we proceed with the 

 discussion, contemplated artificial drainage may have the power to 

 make or ruin a crop if its action is not intelligently employed, or 

 intelligently rejected, as the case may require. 



Benefits of Drainage. It may be admitted at the outset that 

 in regions of heavy rainfall or in locations subject to much percola- 

 tion from higher lands, underdrainage may be necessary to satis- 

 factory use of the land in winter gardening unless the soil is deep 

 and free enough to readily dispose of the surplus water. As a 

 matter of fact, it is necessary in some cases, and gratifying results 

 follow in lowering the ground water, admitting air, warming the 



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