THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



331 



gations of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, said : 



"If the land of Southern 

 New Jersey is to be farmed 

 in the old way, it is ques- 

 tionable if irrigation is either 

 necessary or desirable. 1 he 

 small revenue annually re- 

 ceived from the land would 

 scarcely pay for the extra 

 water. On the other hand, 

 if the lands should be 

 farmed in accordance with 

 the latest scientific methods, 

 irrigation during dry spells 

 will become a necessity for 

 all crops having a gross 

 valuation of from $50 to 

 $250 and over per acre." 

 Subsequent experiments in 

 this region have shown the 

 truth 01 this statement. Dur- 

 ing the past season the yield 

 of alfalfa at Vineland was 

 increased by irrigation at 

 the rate of two tons of 

 cured hay per acre, worth 

 $20 per ton in the field. The 

 value of the strawberry crop 

 at one place in that region 

 was increased this year $100 

 per acre, while the early 



strawberry crop, without The Source of Water Supply for Irrigating Mr. Leed's Farm. The Power Plant Before It was Housed In. 

 irrigation, was a total fail- A Comparatively Inexpensive and Ev;r-Keady Means of Securing Water. 



The department's irri- 



ure. 



gation expert estimates that the saving of a single year's 

 strawberry crop by irrigation would pay two or three times 

 for the most expensive spray-irrigation system. 



In the East the farmer or horticulturist will have to 

 study carefully the sources of his water supply, the location 

 and soil of his fields, and the character and value of his 

 crops before undertaking the practice of irrigation. In some 

 localities there are streams which may be inexpensively 

 utilized for irrigation ; in others water may be economically 

 pumped from wells or ponds. If the land is level or slopes 

 evenly and the soil is sufficiently retentive of moisture, sur- 

 face irrigation may be employed in accordance with the 



Irrigating a Strawberry Patch. This System Extends Over Five Acres at Rancocas, N. J. Nozzles Every 

 Four Feet on Lines Fifty Feet Apart. The System Distributes 250 Gallons of Water a Minute. 



common practice in the West. In level lands with a shallow, 

 porous soil, subirrigation through tiles or pipes may some- 

 times be used .for shallow-rooting crops having a high 

 market value. 



Irrigation by spraying is already used to a considerable 

 extent on lawns and gardens, and about residences, and by 

 market gardeners and florists having valuable plantations 

 where drouth, even for a short period, will seriously reduce 

 the market value of the crop. An overhead spray system 

 devised by an Ohio man, and first used by him in greenhouse 

 irrigation, has more recently been found well adapted to the 

 irrigation of outdoor truck crops. 



In this system a main 

 feed pipe is laid across the 

 end or through the center 

 of the field. Along this 

 pipe, at intervals of 50 to 

 60 feet, standpipes are set 

 up, each feeding a lateral 

 pipe line supported on 

 posts at an elevation of 7 

 feet above ground. These 

 laterals run parallel across 

 the field. In the shell 

 of each lateral pipe are 

 screwed small brass noz- 

 zles 4 feet apart, and all 

 located on the same side 

 of the pipe. Each nozzle 

 throws a fine, straight 

 stream of water. The pipe 

 is so supported on the 

 posts that it can be re- 

 volved on its bearings, and 

 thus the water can be 

 thrown to any desired lo- 

 cation in the lateral's zone. 

 The irrigator has complete 

 control of the water and 

 can make up small or large 

 deficiencies of rainfall with 

 comparatively little labor. 

 The amount of water need- 

 ed at one time to irrigate 

 such crops as onions, cel- 

 ery or lettuce is quite small 

 but very important to their 



