20 SUIMAi K- AM> sii;-ii:i:k;AT10N 



surface irrigation ; but as the crop grows, we bank it up, and 

 finally have the tile covered, and thus have sub-irrigation — Fig. 

 7. The tiles are cheap and last indefinitely. When the celery 

 is harvested, the tiles are dug out also and piled up, or used 

 for sub-irrigation in the greenhouse beds. Potatoes and vari- 

 ous other crops can be grown in the same way. The celery 

 watered this year grew well, and did not rust. Besides this, 

 we were able to water twenty times as much space in the same 

 time as in the ordinary way with ditches. Besides saving time, 

 this plan delivers water where it is most needed, and we have 

 reason to believe, is fully as economical with water as with 

 time. 



Rows of celery watered in this manner were planted in a 

 potato field, leaving every other space between the potato 

 rows vacant, so that two rows of potatoes could be dug 

 together when ripe. Besides watering the celery, the moist- 

 ure reached the tops of the potato hills, as was plainly seen 

 every morning by the dampness of the surface throughout the 

 intervening space, thus showing that the watering was suffi- 

 cient for at least three feet and three inches on each side, or 

 six feet six inches in all, the rows being three feet three inches 

 apart. Where the rows were on a slight incline, we slipped a 

 piece of tin between the joints, and held the water where it was 

 needed ; then, by pulling it out and inserting it further down, 

 another section could be treated. The sections can be made 

 longer or shorter, according to the angle at which the ground 

 inclines. This subject is receiving our attention this year, and 

 we hope to be able to present it more fully at a future time. 



As already stated the work was continued last year at the 

 West Virginia Station, and as is shown in Fig. 5 considerable 

 area was used for testing this system. Last year, however, 

 proved to be a very poor season for this purpose ; shortly after 

 the plants were set out, they were caught by a frost and again 

 a second transplanting was nipped, which rendered it too late 

 in the season for natural conditions by the time the third planting 

 came on. The season was exceptional also for the reason that 

 the rainfall was comparatively well-distributed there, and there- 

 fore little irrigation was needed. In the case of onions on high 

 ground very fair results were shown in favor of those irrigated. 



