IRRIGATION AND CULTIVATION. 65 



some soils, like sandy loam or muck, they may be ten or 

 twelve, or even more, feet apart; in clayey soils it may be 

 necessary to place them as near as four or five feet apart. 



Whenever a water supply, such as mentioned, is not at 

 command, it may perhaps be obtained by letting a wind- 

 mill or steam pump raise it from a pond, stream, or well 

 into large tanks, from which it is to be distributed over 

 the field by means of hose alone, or by a combination of 

 iron pipe and hose, or in other w^ays that may suggest 

 themselves to the intelligent grower. 



Fig. 32. 



'I U \i (-1 i/il' 



■if. 



Sub irrigation by Tile. 



Now a word of warning' With an unlimited amount of 

 water available for irrigating purposes there is great danger 

 that a good thing will be overdone. Onions are easily 

 and often permanently injured by an over-supply of water. 

 The latter causes an excessively rank growth and thick 

 clumsy tops, which will not permit the bulb to mature and 

 cap over well. Do not let the water into the patch oftener 

 than when absolutely needed, and then only enough to 

 moisten, not to soak, the soil. Great caution and the 

 exercise of good judgment are required to keep to the 

 proper medium. 

 5 



