ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 47 



governed by the grade or slope of the land. When this plan is 

 used, the land is irrigated by filling these sections and then 

 allowing the water gradually to penetrate the ground. 



" For the irrigation of crops at the present time, our farmers 

 usually conduct the water by or along each row of the crop, in 

 a furrow made with a plow. The ground is stirred immediately 

 after each irrigation. I believe this plan is generally considered 

 the best for the cultivation of ordinary crops. 



"For orchard purposes some planters still pursue about the 

 same plan as the above for crops. While the trees are small, 

 for instance, a furrow is turned from the trees, on each side of 

 the row, with a one-horse plow. The soil is turned back and 

 thoroughly cultivated, after irrigating, leaving the surface level. 



"After an orchard is fully established, say five or six years 

 after planting, it is found best to use a two-horse plow, turning 

 a furrow away from the trees, and on both sides of the row, at 

 least four feet from the trunk. This leaves a strip eight feet 

 wide between the furrows. The water is turned into these 

 spaces and spread evenly over the ground, flooding this strip 

 thoroughly. Then, when the soil is in proper condition, this 

 space is cultivated thoroughly and leveled with a horse-hoe, 

 cultivator or other implement. The length of time that should 

 elapse after irrigating and before cultivating, depends mainly 

 on the nature of the soil. I have found this to be an excellent 

 plan where water is plenty ; but where it cannot be had in suffi- 

 cient quantities, other and more economical methods must be 

 resorted to. 



"The orchards at San Gabriel Mission and in some other lo- 

 calities are irrigated by making basins around the trunk of the 

 tree. The basins are made by scooping the earth from the 

 tree, and forming around the tree a circular bank or ridge, of 

 sufficient capacity and strength to contain water enough to pen- 

 etrate the ground thoroughly. These basins should be made 

 with a diameter to correspond witfe the diameter of the tops of 

 the trees. I am of the opinion that this plan of irrigation, all 

 things considered, is the best now in use. It enables us to use 

 a running stream of large or small capacity, to use a hose from 

 hydrants, to water from portable tanks on wagons or carts, to 



