IRRIGATION OF FIELD CROPS. 231 



Give the beds a good preparatory irrigation. Sow the 

 seed an inch deep in opened drills and press down 

 firmly after depositing the seed. If the bed has had 

 a liberal soaking, as described, but one more irrigation 

 usually is required, and this should be given as the 

 plants begin to boll. The plowing is done in Febru- 

 ary and the sowing takes place in March. 



Hops. — This crop will grow on a great variety of 

 soils, but the deep alluvial river bottom mixed with 

 clay will produce the best quality and greatest quan- 

 tity. While hop roots must have moisture, and in 

 friable lands will go deep in search of it, wet lands are 

 not the best and are even unsuitable. Hops are per- 

 ennial, and when set in kindly soil the roots will go 

 down several feet and will draw moisture from very 

 great depths in any weather, unless prevented by a 

 hard subsoil. To secure the best results it is abso- 

 lutely necessary to seledl soil that is naturally drained, 

 or that which is thoroughly underdrained before 

 planting. A yard set 6x6 feet will give 1,031 hills 

 to the acre. Take the sets from the pruned runners 

 and cut them in pieces so as to have three pairs of eyes 

 to each piece. Plant these pieces at the proper dis- 

 tances, being careful to place them three or four inches 

 deep. Thus when the land washes level the crown 

 will be under the ground. The first move toward cul- 

 tivating a crop is the pruning. This should be done 

 early. All runners should be removed and the crown 

 cut back, when found growing above the surface. 

 Heavy pruning is not desirable, especially on light 

 soil. Neither is it well to omit pruning altogether in 

 any year. Irrigation can be done by flooding, or by 



