IRRIGATION FOR THK ORCHARD. 285 



while some men go so far as to employ the one-horse 

 weeder, in conne(5lion with other tools. Sandy soils 

 do not require so much plowing as does a stiff soil, 

 and for the latter the rolling cutter has been recom- 

 mended. Old-fashioned farmers still use the drag 

 harrow. 



The author deprecates the use of whiffletrees in an 

 orchard, and uses the patent steel harness, that is 

 devoid of these dangerous things, in orchard cultiva- 

 tion. It is well to observe the flat system of cultiva- 

 tion, and to harrow or scarify the land both ways after 

 each irrigation. By this method the land is easily 

 kept free from weeds, and evaporation by capillary 

 attradlion is prevented. New irrigating furrows should 

 be marked out with a shovel plow or a ditcher ju.st 

 before each irrigation; throw the earth back again after 

 irrigation so as to better retain the moisture that has 

 been given. It is well to remember that irrigation can 

 better be dispensed with than can cultivation. 



In our western orchards a stratum of hard-pan con- 

 sisting of a bed of tenacious clay nearly or quite 

 impervious to water is often found a few feet below 

 the surface. If we can make a reservoir of this, 

 putting the water at the bottom where it is protecfled 

 from the influence of the hot sun and dry wind we 

 have approximated the ideal condition of subirrigation 

 and its attendant capillary a(5lion. If we can get the 

 water from underneath without breaking up the dust 

 mulch and prevent the tremendous evaporation which 

 takes place from a saturated surface until cultivation 

 arrests it by restoring the dry-earth mulch, we will 

 accomplish the desired result of putting the water into 



