IRRIGATION IN HUMID CLIMATES. 457 



been demonstrated that timothy, which is an excep- 

 tionally harsh and fibrous plant, when raised under 

 irrigation is over five per cent, better in quality and in 

 nutritive properties than that raised in a state where 

 the rainfall is more than forty-eight inches annually. 

 So far as growth and quality for various uses go, 

 there is no peculiar virtue in rainfall, but there is every 

 advantage in wise irrigation, which means using water 

 at the right time. The experience of centuries in vari- 

 ous countries shows that irrigation water is generally 

 superior to rain-water, in that it carries greater quan- 

 tities of, plant-food, and for this reason irrigation 

 should be considered advantageous by farmers living 

 in a humid climate with its erratic and superabundant 

 rainfall. Easterners express wonder at times when 

 seeing men afield in the far west irrigating during 

 rain-storms, prote(5led by rubber clothing. They argue 

 that if enough moisture is being precipitated to compel 

 the use of water-proof clothing it is not necessary to 

 artificially water the growing crops. This great error 

 is always made in considering the benefits of irrigation. 

 Rain never fell on growing grain, especially about the 

 time of heading out, that would have the same effedl 

 which good irrigation would produce. This is obvious. 

 To secure complete saturation of the soil to a depth of 

 from six to eighteen inches, depending on the com- 

 position and condition of the soil, would necessitate a 

 cloudburst, with its attendant destruc5lion to both soil 

 and crops. We are not discussing the effedl of irriga- 

 tion upon the moisture content of the atmosphere, 

 although the more the principles of irrigation are put 

 into effecft the less will be the need of artificial moisture. 



