TIME OF IRRIGATION 187 



season, to maintain. the late growth. Pastures which in 

 the irrigated section are maintained during the whole 

 season require small but regular applications of water 

 from spring to fall. 



The time to apply water to fruit trees depends on 

 both fruit- and bud-formation. The fruit-buds are formed 

 the year preceding the bearing of the fruit. At the time 

 that these are formed, usually in late midsummer, when 

 the fruit is still small and immature, the crop should be 

 plentifully supplied with water. Fruit trees require a 

 moderate amount of water in the spring and early summer 

 with an increasing quantity as the summer advances and 

 the fruit develops. Late fall irrigation of orchards, after 

 the season's wood has ripened, is beneficial to the succeed- 

 ing crop, except in places where the winter precipitation 

 is very heavy. 



117. Night vs. day irrigation. Water is usually 

 allowed to run through the canals with equal volume by 

 day and by night. The night water, so far as is known, is 

 quite as valuable as the day water in crop-production. 

 However, night irrigation naturally is more difficult to 

 perform. Sanborn and others have experimented on the 

 relative value of night and day irrigation. Their results 

 lead to the conclusion that there is no material difference 

 in results between night and day irrigation. Where the 

 water supply is small, it must be husbanded carefully, 

 and the farmer then uses it both day and night. 



REFERENCES 



HARRIS, F. S. Studies in Soil Moisture and Fertility. 



HARRIS, F. S. Long versus Short Periods of Transpiration in Plants 

 Used as Indicators of Soil Fertility. Proceedings of the Ameri- 

 can Society of Agronomy, Vol. II, p. 93 (1910). 



