176 PEEMANENT NURSERIES. 



through a small opening, to flood them to a depth of 3 or 4 inches. 

 By this means the soil is perhaps more effectively drenched than 

 by the percolation system, for the water let in over the beds some- 

 times stands as much as an hour or more before it is completely 

 absorbed no slight advantage, it must be admitted, under the 

 strong Indian sun. The work is also perhaps done a little more 

 expeditioulsy. But, on the other hand, the formation of a 

 superficial crust of mud, which must afterwards be raked and 

 broken up, is inevitable. The method just described may be 

 termed the FLOODING system. 



Whether the percolation or flooding system be employed, the 

 effect is the same as regards the total destruction or banishment 

 of white ants, rats, mice, and other burrowing animals, the depre- 

 dations of which seem only to be aggravated by hand-watering-. 



Another of the numerous advantages which irrigation possesses 

 over hand-watering is that it suceeds in shallow soils where the 

 latter, from compelling the roots to remain entirely superficial, 

 completely fails. 



When the tank, spring, or stream is on a lower level than the 

 nursery, the water has obviously to be lifted. Of the various 

 water-lifts in use in India the best to adopt, according to circum- 

 stances, are the Persian Wheel (of which there are several forms), 

 the Double Mot, Charas, Chars, Charasa, Pur (Oudh), Bara 

 (Punjabi), Kavala (Tamil), or Kajuli (Telugu), the Dheki, Dhenkul, 

 Dhenkli, Dhenguli, Dhinguli, Bendi (Oudh), or Jhata (Punjabi), 

 and the Lathi Kundi (Chambal, Punjabi, Yetam, Tamil and Telugu,), 

 all which contrivances are too well known to need being described 

 here. The water thus lifted can be led away at once into the nur- 

 sery beds and lines, or stored up in a reservoir until wanted. 

 When the distance of lead is considerable, say exceeds 50 yards, 

 iron pipes, or cheaper still, gutters of wood or sheet iron, supported 

 on wooden or iron trestles, are easily and economically set up. 

 Masonry channels, if on a large scale, are extremely costly, and 

 earthen embankments, however well puddled, are very wasteful, 

 and require constant looking after. 



In the absence of all other sources of water-supply, the only 

 plan is to sink wells, the number and size of which will depend 

 on the area of the nursery and the abundance of water in the 

 stratum in which they are sunk The most effective water-lifts to 

 employ in this case would be the Persian Wheel and the Double 

 Mot. 



The best time of the day for watering is, according to the 



