THE VINEYARD AND SMAI.L FRUITS. 32 1 



and then flood the water all over the lot and allow it 

 to soak for two days. When again dry cultivate often 

 and irrigate enough only to keep tlie surface moist. 

 This is done to encourage the new fibrous roots to 

 grow and form new fruit crowns for the succeeding 

 year's crop. The old crowns soon die under this 

 treatment. The winter care is the same as that of the 

 preceding season. 



Subirrigation. — It is about twenty years since a 

 patent was granted for a system of perforated tiles laid 

 under the surface for watering land, but it was found 

 that the common drain-tiles would answer the same 

 purpose in every respedt. There is no doubt that for 

 strawberry culture this mode of irrigation would pay 

 exceedingly well. Tiles are laid in precisely the same 

 manner as for draining, but not so deep and not so far 

 apart. It depends on the nature of the soil how much 

 water is to be supplied, and much pressure is not 

 necessary. With as much as twenty-five pounds to 

 the inch, which is equal to a head of fifty-five feet, the 

 probability is that the water would be forced above 

 the surface and flow on the top. This is not desirable, 

 but only to keep the subsoil moist enough to supply 

 the crops in a dry time. Rows of tiles twelve feet 

 apart have been found sufiicient in a light sandy soil, 

 and in a clay it would doubtless be necessary to pro- 

 vide drainage for the surplus, or the distribution must 

 be very carefully made. A small head, three feet for 

 instance, is quite enough to secure the even distribu- 

 tion of the water. As in drainage, the water-supply 

 is carried to the small tiles in larger ones, estimated as 

 to size by the area to be supplied. In fa(5l, it is simply 



