410 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



berry crop all over the State. At the end of the season it 

 was found that the 2 acres which were not irrigated had 

 yielded 150 crates (32 quarts each), while the two acres 

 which were irrigated yielded 415 crates. After the first few 

 days' picking, the fruit on the non-irrigated fields was much 

 smaller and darker colored, and soon after shrivelled. The 

 quality of this fruit was so much poorer than that on the 

 irrigated area that it had to be sold for several cents per 

 quart less. 



Until within a few years, since the blight became so de- 

 structive, Mr. Eddy has been very successful in growing 

 muskmelons by aid of irrigation. This crop has frequently 

 been sold as high as $350 to $400 per acre. Asparagus and 

 onions have also been grown with great success where water 

 was applied. Cauliflower of excellent quality has been 

 grown on this farm. This crop is one which responds 

 readily to the use of water, and Mr. Eddy has irrigated it 

 as often as once in five or six days, when the rainfall was 

 deficient. The crop has generally been grown on a medium 

 heavy loam soil, where the surface fall was only about 4 feet 

 in 100 lengthwise of the rows. The water was allowed to 

 flow down between the rows from a series of troughs at one 

 end. With so slight a fall the flow was very gradual, and 

 the water would gradually soak laterally underneath the 

 rows. The cauliflower headed earlier than usual where irri- 

 gation was practised, and the crop has generally sold for 

 about $400 per acre. 



Experiments with Irrigation on Strawberries. 

 In June, 1895, the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion began some experiments on the farm of Mr. Eddy, for 

 the purpose of studying the effects of irrigation on the 

 quantity and quality of strawberries, and to ascertain some 

 facts regarding the profits to be obtained from the use of 

 irrigation. A section of about 2 acres was chosen from a 

 field of strawberries. The soil appeared to be nearly uni- 

 form, and the conditions were favorable for applying the 

 water. The field had been set to strawberries in the spring 

 of 1894. The Haverlaud was the variety used, with every 



