Increase of Small Fruit Crop by Irrigation 181 



to seed clover with either oats or barley, and by cutting the first 

 crop early for hay and then irrigating, a second crop of hay equal 

 at least to one ton per acre may usually be taken, besides making 

 it certain that a good stand of clover is secured for the next year. 



THE EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTING THE RAINFALL FOB 

 STRAWBERRIES 



The strawberry is a crop which will respond in a marked man- 

 ner to judicious applications of water in most parts of the United 

 States suited to its growth, as the results secured at this station 

 by Professor Goff clearly show. His yields per acre were: 



Irrigated Not irrigated Difference 

 BU. BU. BU. 



1894 214.6 109.3 105.3 



]895 272.9 32.2 240.7 



Mean 243.8 70.8 173 



It is here seen that the irrigated yield was more than three 

 times as large as that under natural rainfall conditions ; and not 

 only was the yield this much larger, but the quality of the berries 

 was also improved by the irrigation, they being larger and more 

 salable. 



While we are able to cite no critical data regarding the 

 advantage of irrigation in humid climates on blackberries, rasp- 

 berries, currants and gooseberries, the unquestioned fact that these 

 do very frequently suffer severely from the effects of drought 

 leaves no room to doubt that these, like the strawberries, would 

 be greatly benefited by irrigation in very many seasons. 



CLOSER PLANTING MADE POSSIBLE BY IRRIGATION 



It has been pointed out that in sub -humid climates* 

 the limiting factor which determines the number of 

 plants which may develop to advantage in a given soil 

 is the amount of available moisture ; but that in coun- 



