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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THKM 



weak places with brush or burlaps. Old gunny sacks cut open and spread 

 out are excellent for this purpose. Occasionally there are places where it 

 is impossible to get a perfect ridge. These should be looked up and fixed 

 with a shovel. The jump scraper will not entirely close up a check; it gen- 

 erally requires a shovelful or two to complete it. It is usual after the water is 

 turned down one row to fix up the next one, but it is an excellent plan to 

 have a few rows fixed up ahead, for there come times when breaks occur 

 and there is not time to make the necessary repairs, and when water once 

 gets the start there is apt to be much trouble and hard work before it can 

 be put under control, besides doing poor work. 



After the ground is dry enough to work, the ridges are split with a listing 

 plow or a furrower attached to a cultivator. Then the ground should be run 

 over with a harrow, setting the teeth to go well in, so as to pulverize the 

 surface thoroughly. By using the harrow the ground can be worked about 

 one day earlier .than with the cultivator, and it also prevents the ground from 

 baking till such time as it can be worked with the latter implement, besides 

 doing far better work than with the cultivator alone, especially when there 

 is much land to go over, as some of it is certain to get too dry before it can 

 be reached, and then it will not pulverize well. All trees should be worked 

 around by hand with either a fork or hoe as soon after irrigation as the 

 ground becomes dry enough and before it becomes hard. 



Specifications for Homemade Implements for the Check System. 

 The following implements, used in preparing the ground for irri- 

 gation by the check system, were made on the fruit ranch of J. 

 B. NefT, Anaheim, California, with the tools ordinarily found on 

 a ranch and with but little help from the blacksmith : 



The "Ridger." 



For levee making in the check system of irrigating trees and vines. 



The ridger. This has sides of 2 by 16 inch pine 7 feet long, stand- 

 ing 18 inches apart at the rear and 5 feet apart at the front end. The 

 sides may be made of two 2 by 8 inch pieces with 2 by 3 inch 

 battens" bolted on securely. The front crossbar is of 2 by 4 inch 

 pine 6 feet 2 inches long and is set 20 inches from the end. The 

 rear crossbar is of 2 by 4 inch pine 4 feet 4 inches long. It is set 

 7 inches from the end of the sides. The diagonal braces are 1 by 3 

 inch pine 6 feet 10 inches long. The short side braces are 2 by 3 

 inch pine 15 inches long. The lower inside edge should be pro- 

 tected by a strip of steel or iron 1-8 by 2 inches extending to and 

 around the front ends, which should be beveled to a sharp edge. 



