FOUR] WATER SUPPLY 



plants will be benefited by a casual sprinkling. 

 The earth must be thoroughly wetted, so that the 

 moisture will reach the roots of the plants, or more 

 harm than good will be done. 



The best time of day for irrigating is open to dis- 

 cussion. If water be applied in the morning it is 

 more readily evaporated by the heat of the day; if 

 applied in the evening it is working at the roots of 

 the plants, to feed them all night. Mr. Saunders, 

 a skilled horticulturist, gives this rule: "Water at 

 any time when the plants need it, only water thor- 

 oughly. When I am told that watering in the sun- 

 shine, at noon, will burn up my plants, I answer 

 that the plants will certainly burn up if I do not 

 water them." The most important point is to see 

 that the wet earth is mulched with dry. Cultivat- 

 ing is often called soil mulching. 



It is equally important to use mulches about trees, 

 in order to retain moisture and to keep the soil in 

 a condition to absorb moisture. Many people use 

 mulches in their strawberry beds, filling the paths 

 with cut straw or other material that will prevent 

 evaporation. The best material to apply about 

 young trees is probably coal ashes. It is sufficient- 

 ly porous, and yet, if laid thickly about the tree, it 



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