Xo. 4.] IRRIGATION. 407 



Crescent strawberries produced at the rate of 10,400 quarts 

 per acre. In 1805, with a very severe drought in straw- 

 berry time, Mr. Albiston claims that his crop was the best 

 lie ever produced. The Black-cap raspberries and black- 

 berries have each year produced exceptionally fine crops by 

 the aid of irrigation. Potatoes have been irrigated during 

 seasons of drought. In 1894, which was a very unfavorable 

 season for potatoes, the crop obtained by the aid of irrigation 

 yielded at the rate of 300 bushels to the acre. Mr. Albiston 

 is especially fortunate in being able to irrigate on quite an 

 extended scale at a very small cost. Under conditions of 

 this kind, irrigation must pay a very fine profit. 



The Hale brothers of South Glastonbury, extensive grow- 

 ers of fruits and of nursery stock, have adopted one of the 

 most extensive systems of irrigation to be found in New 

 England. It differs from the system just described by hav- 

 ing the water convej'ed in iron pipes for a distance of nearly 

 1 mile. A small brook, which has never been known to go 

 dry, was dammed, and a reservoir thus formed. The source 

 of the water is about 100 feet above the fields to be irrigated. 

 Heavy iron pipes, 6 inches in diameter, were used for 360 

 feet from the reservoir, then a 4 inch pipe for 1,900 feet, 

 until a fall of 50 feet was obtained, after which the pipe 

 used was only 3 inches in diameter. The line of pipe was 

 carried along the tops of the ridges of the farm, and at 

 points about 200 feet apart hydrants were placed, so that 

 water can be taken from the main pipe and be used for sur- 

 face fiowage or for sprinkling. It has been estimated that 

 there is sufficient water to irrigate 40 to 50 acres, mainly by 

 surface tlowage. The contour of the land and the character 

 of the soil are such that the water can be distributed be- 

 tween the rows of plants so as to give a very even distribu- 

 tion. Mr. Hale has used the water mainly on nurseiy plants 

 and trees, upon small fruits, and, to a limited extent, upon 

 peach trees which were producing fruit. Mr. Hale is of the 

 opinion that the use of water on peach trees will prove 

 profitable, during the fruiting time, in seasons of severe 

 drought. 



Another unusual system, where pipes for conducting the 



