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CHAPTER VIII. 



IRRIGATION. 



As previously stated trees are usually irrigated 

 on the furrow system, that is, one or more furrows 

 are ploughed on each side of the rows, and the water 

 is allowed to run along them until the orchard has 

 had sufficient. The check system flooding the land 

 with an even sheet of water is sometimes practised 

 on level land of a rather stiff nature ; but owing to 

 the heavy cost of grading where the land is at all 

 hilly or undulating, this method is not practised to 

 any considerable extent. 



As it is necessary for the success of the orchard 

 that every tree should have as nearly as possible 

 the same amount of water, the watering should be 

 BO managed that the water does not take too long 

 to reach the last trees of the row, nor should it be 

 so rapid as to cause a washing away of the soil at 

 the beginning of the row. As far as circumstances 

 will permit, this end may be attained by the appli 

 cation of the following principles to the varying 

 conditions of soil and grade. 



Firstly: Fairly level land of a stiff nature. This 

 class of land, whether watered by flooding or by 

 furrow, may be irrigated with a large stream of 

 water running into the checks or along the furrows, 

 as tho grade (if any) is insufficient to cause a washing 

 away of soil, and the soil too tenacious to absorb 

 the water quickly. On the river flat land it is, on 

 the whole, not quite so essential to economise in the 

 use of water as it is on the highlands, as the under- 



