160 FARM MANAGEMENT 



In the semi-arid region, the rewards for such work are 

 fairly sure, because the drought is sure. But in regions of 

 more rainfall, such methods may pay in one year in three 

 and fail in all the other years, because there is water 

 enough without them. On the occasional year, when the 

 extra work of moisture conservation pays, it must pay for 

 the intervening years when it was not needed. 



In every dry year, the question of irrigation for the 

 eastern half of the United States is raised. Many at- 

 tempts have been made to irrigate, but only rarely has it 

 paid. Irrigation in humid regions is likely to be delayed 

 too long, in the hope of rain. Frequently, it is followed by 

 a rain, so that there is injury from too much water. The 

 occasional year when irrigation pays, must pay for the 

 intervening years when irrigation was not needed, or was 

 a positive injury. 



There are some farms on which irrigation of market 

 garden crops pays. As a result of eleven years' test of 

 irrigation at the New Jersey Experiment Station with 

 asparagus, blackberries, raspberries, currants, and goose- 

 berries, the conclusion was reached that on no crop had 

 irrigation paid. 1 As the population increases, the ex- 

 ceptional instances of success with irrigation will increase, 

 but will never be numerous, except on high-priced crops. 

 Overhead irrigation from pipes has paid on high-priced 

 crops on a number of farms. 



108. Business interpretation of results of fertilizer 

 tests. The use of fertilizers has increased enormously. 

 As crops rise in price, their use is certain to continue to 

 increase. Many farmers would make more money if they 

 used more fertilizer, but a farmer needs to be very careful 

 about applying the results that he reads about in bulle- 



1 New Jersey Agr. Exp. Sta. Report, 1906, pp. 218-220. 



