THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



787 



Measures of Surface. 

 Metric Denominations and Values. 



Hectare 10,000 sq. metres 2.471 acres 



Are 100 sq. metres 119.6 sq. yards 



Centare 1 sq. metre 1,550 sq. inches 



This metrical, or decimal, system is not in common, 

 everyday use; on the contrary, it is rarely found except in 

 Government reports. 



The matter of fencing should not be omitted in this 

 place, and so estimated quantities in the convenient barbed 

 wire fencing are here given. The table gives an estimate of 

 the number of pounds of barbed wire required to fence the 

 space or distance mentioned, with one, two or three lines 

 of wire, based upon each pound of wire measuring one rod 

 (16H feet) : 



Pounds. Pounds. Pounds 

 1 side of a square mile.. 320 - 640 900 



1 rod in length 1 -2 3 



100 rods in length 100 200 300 



100 feet in length 61-16 12^ 183-16 



Method of Planting. 



It must not be supposed that this part of the present chap- 

 ter will exhaust the subject of methods of planting. The 

 subject is too large and important to be treated in one place, 

 and it is therefore distributed in other chapters to follow. 

 But it is all important to consider the nature of the plant 

 which it is purposed to grow, and plant the seed in such man- 

 ner that it will have room to grow and develop its seed or 

 fruit. If the previous chapters have been carefully read the 

 reader will remember that great stress was laid upon the fact 

 that all plants are great feeders, and that they are so by 

 instinct, and to attempt to compel them to abstain from their 

 proper food, or limit their food supply on the ground of 

 economy or indifference, or upon the supposition that they 

 will grow anyhow, is to reduce the product of that plant 

 proportionately. It is always a losing plan to restrict the food 

 of plants, for that means stunting their growth. 



Now, whether the seed be sown broadcast, planted in 

 drills, or the young plant transplanted, care must be taken 

 that the roots have space to spread, or reach out for the re- 

 quired food. If they haye not then they rob each other and 

 fail to produce as desired. Plants are cannibalistic in their 

 customs and must not be humored in the slightest degree. 



There is a curious fact about the growth of plants which 

 may not be out of place here, inasmuch as it will prove an 

 addition to the reader's information concerning the peculiari- 

 ties of the plant kingdom : Experiment has demonstrated 

 that the smallest seeds, even, say the mustard or radish, sown 

 in an absolutely sterile soil, will produce plants in which all 

 the organs are developed, but their weight after months does 

 not amount to much more than that of the original seed. 

 The plants remain delicate, and appear reduced or dwarfed 

 in all dimensions. They may, however, grow, flower and even 

 bear seed, which only requires a fertile soil to produce again 

 a plant of natural size. 



In planting without providing room for the plant to feed, 

 or sowing, or planting too many of its fellows in too close 

 proximity, the soil is rendered sterile by over-consumption. 

 and the plants starve or fail to produce adequate crops 

 This well known fact, together with the application of the ex- 

 periment above cited, will explain why, in rows of plants. 

 there are spots where the plants do not grow to perfection 

 so far as producing is concerned. They grow, it is true, but 

 they are dwarfs. 



There is another thing to be considered also in this con- 

 nection, which is that plants are not all robust or healthy in 

 the same degree. One may be so situated as to its environ- 

 ments as to be able to develop more quickly than its neigh- 

 bors, in which case it will "crowd out" its neighbors, or 

 absorb their food, which means the same thing. Just as when 

 to humans sleep in the same bed, the healthy and vigorous 

 one will absorb the vitality of the weaker one, a well at- 

 tested circumstance in medical annals. 



Experience has demonstrated beyond controversy that 

 there is as much of a plant under ground as above it, whether 

 that plant be a tree or a cabbage, and hence it is 1 not difficult 

 to gauge the proper distances in planting, if perfection of 

 growth be the desideratum. Few, however, pay the slightest 

 attention to this fact, and hesitate to "pick out" the super- 

 fluous plants in the radish or lettuce bed. and the consequence 

 is they wonder why their neighbor grows such fine cabbages 

 when thev have the same soil and bestow the same care 



upon them. They do not give them the same care ; the neigh- 

 bor is economical, for he thins out his rows and gives the 

 remaining plants room to grow. This means quality as well 

 as perfection. 



A Chinese gardener will grow vegetables so close together 

 that they will touch, and anyone watching him will sup- 

 pose that the thinning out process is not essential. But it 

 is in his case as well as in all other cases, the only difference 

 being, the Chinaman knowing very well that his plants will 

 not grow if crowded together, and that they must be thinned 

 out. But he knows the reason, and that reason is that they 

 must have food in sufficient quantities, so he gives it to 

 them and makes up for lack of space by supplying food. This 

 is why the Chinaman can be seen always dosing out his plants 

 with liquid fertilizers. He never rests, but is always at work 

 "forcing" his vegetables to grow. Anyone can do the same, 

 but the average American farmer, with his acres of land to 

 the Celestial's square feet, does not deem it necessary to 

 crowd his plants. Moreover, to speak truly, forced plants' 

 are never as substantial as those grown naturally, and this 

 ought to be a sufficient reason for so planting that every 

 individual plant may be surrounded by its own storehouse 

 without encroaching upon the preserves of its neighbors. 



The following table will assist the farmer in planting 

 seed, bearing in mind always that the plant is as large under 

 ground as above it, whether it be a tree or a cabbage. The 

 distances are in feet, basing the calculation as 43,560 square 

 feet to the acre: 



Distances 

 Apart. 

 7x 8 

 8x 9 

 9x 9 



No. of 

 Plants. 



888 



680 



537 



10x10 435 



11x11 360 



12x12 302 



13x13 357 



14x14 222 



15x15 193 



16x16 170 



17x17 150 



18x18 134 



19x10 120 



20x20 108 



24x24 75 



25x25 69 



27x27 59 



30x30 48 



40x40 27 



50x50 17 



60x60 12 



66x66 10 



To round out the above calculation, the following table 

 of the quantity of seeds required in planting is added : 



Seeds, 

 peroz. 



Asparagus 1,000 to 1,200 



Beet 1,200 to 1,500 



Carrot 20,000 to 24,000 



Cabbage 8,000 to 12,000 



Cauliflower 8,000 to 12,000 



Celery 50,000 to 60,000 



Egg plant 5,000 to 6,000 



Endive 20,000 to 24,000 



Lettuce 25,000 to 30,000 



Okra 500 to 600 



Onion 7,000 to 8,000 



Parsnip 5,000 to 6,000 



Radish 3,000 to 4,000 



Salsify 2,500 to 3,000 



Spinach 2,000 to 3,000 



Tomato About 2,000 



Turnip 8,000 to 12,000 



Length 



of Drill, Vitality, 

 per oz. Years. 

 50 feet 4 to 6 

 100 feet 6 to 8 

 200 feet 1 to 3 

 Transplant 4 to 6 

 Transplant 4 to 6 

 Transplant 3 to 5 

 Transplant 5 to 6 

 Transplant 8 to 10 



400 feet 

 50 feet 

 2,00 feet 

 200 feet 

 100 feet 

 100 feet 

 100 feet 



5 to 

 5 to 



Transplant 4 

 200 feet 6 



4 to 5 



The quantity of seed for the space specified in the second 

 column of the latter table is much too great, but it is the 

 conventional quantity and is given as the maximum. In our 

 garden culture all of the common plants mentioned are sus- 

 ceptible to transplanting with good results, even the onion ; 

 but, of course, in field culture chopping out with a hoe is 

 the most advisable method to pursue in thinning. 



