THE COUNTRY HOME [chapter 



rely upon it. In my judgment insurance never 

 makes good an honest man's loss. His house is 

 full of himself, sir, and an old man never feels like 

 building another. If he does, he will never be 

 quite at home in it." 



I have tided over one or two droughts in straw- 

 berry time with a pipe dropped into a well, and 

 then, with an elbow, carried down among my beds. 

 You have to start the flow, after which it works by 

 siphonage. Of course the flow will soon empty an 

 ordinary well; and the well must, itself, stand con- 

 siderably higher than the field to be irrigated. It is 

 not an admirable provision, but may save us a 

 heavy loss when we have no better provision. In 

 all cases, just as soon as the wetted soil is beyond 

 the mud state, you should run a cultivator, and turn 

 the drier soil to the top. This will hold in the mois- 

 ture for two or three days; otherwise it will dry 

 rapidly, and leave the surface of the soil baked and 

 cracking. Then if the drought comes, the irriga- 

 tion may prove to have been a positive damage. 

 Even when watering with pails, the wetted soil 

 should at once be covered with dry soil, to prevent 

 evaporation. Never sprinkle a strawberry bed, or 

 any other ground, with the idea that the soil or 



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