78 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



120. Hose applications. Rubber hose is often used in 

 making applications of water. At Boston it is a very 

 common method. Three acres may be watered in a day 

 by using a large, open hose, which, with sufficient pres- 

 sure or pump capacity, will throw 100 gallons a minute. 

 Although this method has been used with great success, 

 it is open to severe criticism. Too much expense is in- 

 volved in keeping constant attendants, and even distri- 

 bution is impossible ; the water is also applied too rapidly 

 for most soil types ; and heavy soils would tend to bake 

 and become too solid were this method followed. 



121. Subirrigation has been investigated at a number 

 of the experiment stations, but has not become generally 

 popular among market gardeners. The details of install- 

 ment may vary greatly. The pipes are usually ordinary 

 drain tile, which range in size from 2.^/2 to 4 inches. They 

 may be only a few inches under the surface or 2 or 3 feet, 

 depending upon climate and soil conditions and crops 

 grown. Eight to 12 inches are proper distances for most 

 garden soils, and the lines should be 10 to 15 feet apart. 

 The tile are placed end to end as close together as possi- 

 ble and the end of the line farthest from the water main 

 closed. A 24-inch stream of water should cause water 

 to flow to the end of a 2OO-foot line of tile. 



Theoretically, this is a fairly good system of water- 

 ing. There is smaller loss by evaporation from the sur- 

 face than with any other system ; there is less baking 

 of the soil and the least amount of tillage is required, and 

 in addition, tillage is never delayed because of a wet sur- 

 face. On the other hand, considerable outlay is required 

 for tile, which must be laid, lifted and stored every year, 

 unless placed below the frost line. Percolation is too 

 rapid and capillary action too slow in most soils. It is 

 doubtful if this system will ever be generally used. 



The most extensive system of subirrigation in the 

 United States is at Sanford, Fla. Large tracts of waste 



