THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



235 



RESULTS OF IRRIGATION IN FRUIT RAISING. 



In order to develop the practical point of view in 

 denning results attained in the use of irrigation in 

 fruit growing, a special inquiry has been pursued dur- 

 ing the current year. A brief schedule was prepared, 

 ' presenting a few leading questions and asking for the 

 experience and observation of fruit growers in all the 

 irrigated districts of the Pacific Coast. The special 

 points covered were: Comparative amount and regu- 

 larity of crops of fruit, with and without irrigation; 

 comparative size, aroma and general appearance of 

 fruit; experience in shipping, canning and drying 

 fruits grown with and without irrigation; instances of 

 injuries to trees or vines by drouth or by irrigation, 

 etc. Very full responses have been received from these 

 questions and are now being compiled for publication. 

 By this phase of the work it is aimed to appeal directly 

 to agriculturists who prefer the personal testimony of 

 experience to the results of special experiments, or at 

 least are attracted to the advantages of systematic ex- 

 periments by the word of their friends that it "really 

 works that way." At the same time the declaration of 

 about 250 practical irrigators on a few specific points 

 submitted to them may have an important suggestive 

 relation to the work of the systematic investigation. 



DRAINAGE. 



In many sections of California irrigation can not 

 be practiced without resorting in time to drainage. At 

 first a naturally deep, dry soil absorbs all surplus and 

 waste waters, and in this way injury to cultivated 

 plants is avoided, but sooner or later there comes a time 

 when provision must be made to remove the surplus 

 by drains and pipes. Drainage has already become the 

 vital question in the older irrigated sections of the San 

 Joaquin Valley, and also in the more limited areas of 

 such places as Riverside, Westminster and Oxnard. 



The seepage from the irrigation canals and the 

 waste from irrigated areas have been the chief cause of 

 damage to such lands. No description can here be 

 given of the 1,750,000 acres bordering on the Sacra- 

 mento and San Joaquin Rivers which require drainage 

 from natural causes. 



In the past few years the work done in California 

 by Mr. Mead and his assistants has included preventive 

 as well as remedial measures. It has been shown that 

 the cost of drainage in irrigated sections can be ma- 

 terially lessened by a more careful study of water. In 

 other places observations are being made on the rise 

 of the ground water level so that timely warning may 

 be given to the farmers, either to apply less water or 

 to prepare for drainage. Plans and estimates of cost 

 of draining large tracts have also been prepared and 

 submitted to the farmers whose lands were being dam- 

 aged. 



DUTY OF WATEH. 



The quantity of water applied to the land under 

 several canals was measured last year. Similar work 

 has already been done this season on the Modesto and 

 Turlock irrigation districts. In addition to this, weir 

 boxes have been inserted near the discharge pipes of a 

 considerable number of pumping plants in southern 

 California and in Tulare and Santa Clara Counties 

 for the purpose of measuring the quantity of water 

 used in orchard irrigation. 



TANK EXPERIMENTS. 



In addition to the ordinary duty, or service, of 

 water, experiments are being carried on in four widely 



separated districts of the State to determine the right 

 amount of water to apply to different crops, the rate 

 of evaporation from soil surfaces, the effect of shallow 

 and deep furrows and other problems related to soil 

 moisture and the growth of plants. 



PUMPING WATER FOR IRRIGATION. 



This is a new branch of irrigation, and the ordi- 

 nary farmer, or water user, under a gravity canal has 

 had little opportunity of gaining information concern- 

 ing it. During the past few years many pumping 

 plants have been installed and much experimenting has 

 been done at the expense of the owners, but the ex- 

 perience and knowledge thus gained by the few have 

 not been available to the many. A study of the cost 

 and methods used in pumping water forms an im- 

 portant feature of the cooperative irrigation investiga- 

 tions. This branch of the subject is many-sided. There 

 are, for example, a comparison of the various fuels, the 

 proper conditions for each kind and make of pumps 

 and engines, under which both will work at their high- 

 est efficiency, the digging and boring of wells, the 

 proper installation of plants, the effect of pumping on 

 the ground water supply and the quantity required for 

 the different crops of soil of various character. These 

 and similar questions have been investigated during the 

 past year and the information obtained will be embodied 

 in a publication to be issued next fall. 



WHEN ACORNS FALL. 



When acorns fall and swallows troop for flight, 



And hope matured slow mellows to regret, 



And- autumn pressed by winter for his debt, 



Drops leaf on leaf till she is beggared quite ; 



Should then the crescent moon's unselfish light 



Gleam up the sky just as the sun doth set, 



Her brightening gaze, though day and dark have met, 



Prolongs the gloaming and retards the night, 



So, fair young life, new risen until mine 



Just as it owns the edict of decay 



And Fancy's fire should pale and pass away, 



My menaced glory takes a glow from thine, 



And, in the deepening sundown of my day. 



Thou with thy dawn delayest my decline. 



Alfred Austin. 



THE SITUATION IN A NUTSHELL. 



Under the act of June 4, 1897, known as the lien- 

 land forest reserve selection act, many millions of acres 

 of scrip were authorized. This scrip may be located 

 on any public lands of the United States. Application 

 for more thaoi 3,000,000 acres under this scrip have 

 already been filed in the general land office. The re- 

 peal of our land laws would naturally enhance the 

 value of the scrip, which is held exclusively by two or 

 three corporations, and this is the reason why Hot- 

 Air Maxwell has been so busy trying to set aside the 

 laws. We have always contended that it is not wise 

 to reverse our land policy. We rather should find the 

 defects in existing laws and remedy them. Denver 

 Field and Farm, December, 1903. 



The Los Angeles Times bewails the failure of Con- 

 gress to comply with what it is pleased to term "the 

 universal demand of the West for the repeal of the 

 land laws." The universality of the Western demand 

 for the repeal of the land laws is confined to the col- 

 umns of the Times and the Maxwell gang. 



