108 The Principles of Fruit-growing 



remains to be seen. Thus far, insufficient experimental 

 evidence has been collected as to its real value. Probably 

 it will never be used commercially to any extent for the 

 tree-fruits, because the annual rainfall in most of the 

 fruit-growing districts east of the Mississippi is sufficient 

 for the plants, if the farmer practises thorough tillage. It 

 is possible that irrigation may be beneficial in the case 

 of the small-fruits or in certain localities where the rain- 

 fall is insufficient, and it has been so employed in a few 

 places in eastern plantations. An abundance of water is 

 of particular value to small-fruits at the time of ripening 

 and it is often at this time that the dry spells come. 



The grower should remember that irrigation cannot 

 take the place of tillage; the two go together. When the 

 soil is well tilled, the water of irrigation distributes itself 

 better than when tillage is neglected. Moreover, when 

 water is applied to lands not tilled, puddling is liable 

 to result. Another difficulty connected with the applica- 

 tion of water is the collection of alkali at the surface. 

 This is a well-known trouble in the arid regions. The 

 alkali of the soil, which dissolves in the water, is brought 

 up by the moisture, and as the moisture evaporates, it is 

 deposited at the surface. Where irrigation is continued 

 year after year, the amount of this alkali may increase to 

 considerable amounts. 



The value of irrigation to the eastern grower should be 

 determined by the experiment stations, and these stations 

 are now working on the question. Until more definite 

 results are secured, the grower should look to thorough 

 tillage as the most economical means of supplying moisture. 

 It seems reasonable to predict that the fruit-grower will 

 not find it profitable to practise irrigation to any con- 

 siderable extent in the East. 



