206 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



hand, but will not crumble apart again as do the soils 

 with only film moisture. 



Orchardists have relied far too much on the appearance 

 of the surface soil as a guide in irrigation, and as a result 

 an excess of water has been applied. So long as the free 

 water sought a level far below the surface, no disastrous 

 results followed, but now with the water-table raised by 

 excessive irrigation, over-watering is a more serious mat- 

 ter. Many of the seeped areas in our best fruit sections 

 are the result of this persistent over-irrigation. 



The orchard should not be irrigated until a careful ex- 

 amination of the soil not only at the surface but to a depth 

 of three or four feet shows that there is need of water. 

 One of the most convenient means of making this examina- 

 tion is to dig a few holes in different parts of the orchard 

 with a post-hole auger or a shovel. If the water-table is 

 too near the surface, the orchardist must cultivate more 

 and irrigate less, or give frequent light irrigations. Or- 

 chards will apparently thrive on land in which the free 

 water comes within five feet of the surface. Fruit trees 

 really grow well on land when the water-table is nearer 

 the surface, if the water was there when the trees were 

 planted; roots will not penetrate a saturated soil. But 

 if the water-table rises after the trees have rooted deeply, 

 it is a different matter, as the lower roots which come in 

 contact with the water will be smothered, and the death of 

 the tree will result in a short time. 



Nature of the Soil modifies the Practice 



The nature of the soil may determine both the way in 

 which the water is applied and the amount that is required. 



