SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 17K 



quality of his crops. It has been called by some one the para- 

 mount fertilizer. 



In transplanting and seeding a proper use of water makes 

 success almost sure, and work can be carried on to the best 

 advantage ; too much water is bad, but too little is worse than 

 none at all. Steam pumps are found on many farms, and^ 

 wrought iron pipes are used to distribute the water to the dif- 

 ferent plots. Rubber hose, size 1^4 inches, is used to apply the- 

 water in field irrigation. The water pipes are run on the sur- 

 face of the fields and are easily laid and taken up. They are 

 piled on the sides of the fields when not in use, from Septem- 

 ber 20 to May 10. Water is pumped directly into the pipes 

 from wells, ponds or streams. The best hose costs thirty cents 

 a foot and will last about five years ; ^-inch hose is best for 

 bed work and is economical to use in fi'fty foot lengths. City 

 or town water can be profitably used on small farms ; there is 

 no time or money spent in pumping, the pressure is constant 

 and usually good. A low price per 1,000 gallons can often 

 be obtained by large takers. 



Whereas field irrigation is at times very profitable, and 

 much more work can be done and larger crops obtained ; many 

 large farms do not use any and probably never will. They 

 cultivate largely of corn, potatoes, squashes, peas and beans 

 or other kinds of stuff planted wide apart or which occupy 

 the land the entire season. 



Tillage. 



Considerable attention is given to thinning beets, carrots, 

 lettuce, corn and squashes and some other stuff so as to enable 

 it to develop well. Beets are thinned from four to six inches, 

 carrots three inches, lettuce ten to twelve inches. Corn is 

 planted four feet by eighteen to twenty-four inches, and 

 thinned to four in a hill. 



Peas and beans are sowed to stand six plants 'to the foot 

 in rows two and one-half to three feet apart. Early peas, 

 beans, tomatoes, corn and squashes are ridged or hilled up high 

 to give more heat and bring the crop on faster. As soon as 

 tomatoes have a good set on. we trim the tops back. 



