426 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



ments for the water supply not having been completed in time to pre- 

 pare for its application to other staple farm crops. The benelicial 

 effects of the irrigation of strawberries are shown in the illustration 

 of the irrigated and unirrigated rows (PL XLI, figs. 1 and 2). Care- 

 ful records were kept of the quantity of water used, the cost of fur- 

 nishing it, and the time of its application. The report of Professor 

 Waters states that "the season was very disastrous to strawberry 

 plants, many of the old plants dying, and practically no runners being 

 formed under ordinary treatment. The irrigated plants developed 

 strong crowns, and undoubtedly stored an abundant supply of food for 

 next year's crop. The strawberry nurseryman, the man whose busi- 

 ness it is to supply plants for the commercial strawberry grower, will 

 find in irrigation absolute protection against failure." It will require 

 next }^ear's record of the yield to determine the full measure of the 

 benefits of this year's irrigation. Referring to the result of this year's 

 watering of nursery stock, Professor Waters believes that nursery- 

 men will find irrigation exceedingly profitable, that it will result in 

 securing larger growth in 3 7 oung trees, trees with better formed heads, 

 and possibly a saving of one year in the time when nursery stock can 

 be placed on the market. He also believes that the protection of 

 bearing trees from injury by drought is a matter of very great impor- 

 tance, because this injury often extends beyond the season when the 

 scarcity of water begins. . 



IRRIGATION IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC STATES. 



In the North Atlantic States the large area devoted to market gar- 

 dens makes security against drought a matter of much importance. 

 Throughout this region the average rainfall provides sufficient moisture 

 if properly distributed, but short droughts just at the time when the 

 crops are maturing frequently cause heavy losses. In many years no 

 such droughts occur, but they come often enough to' make the growing 

 of vegetables and small fruits uncertain. The problem to be solved is 

 whether the saving of an occasional crop and the increased yield of 

 many crops will repay with a profit the cost of providing a water sup- 

 ply. The study of these questions is being carried on by this Office in 

 connection with the agricultural experiment station in New Jersey, 

 Prof. E. B. Voorhees, director of this station, being in charge. His 

 experiments, so far reported, have been limited to small fruits. They 

 show that, in case of almost all varieties, the increase in the product of 

 the irrigated tracts over the unirrigated ones was considerably more 

 than enough to pay in a single season the entire cost of providing the 

 water supply as well as the expense of applying it. 



In addition to making experiments with small fruits, Professor 



