Cultivation After Irrigation 383 



have, however, advantages over the other form for 

 going over the ground the first time after irrigation, 

 when it is important to break the moist soil into a 

 crumbled condition. 



Systems of flooding are also adopted in orchard 

 irrigation, sometimes flooding the whole ground or 

 small checks surrounding the trees, when these are 

 young and the water scanty, but this method is far 

 more wasteful of water and much more injurious to 

 the texture of the soil, unless it is sandy. When 

 following it, care must be taken to prevent water from 

 coming against the trunks of the trees and stand- 

 ing there. 



In humid climates, on lands where the soil will 

 not wash badly, the methods of orchard cultivation 

 practiced in the west would give far better results 

 than leaving them so persistently in grass, as is the 

 more common practice. The moisture of the soil 

 should be saved for the trees as a rule, rather than 

 used for any other crop after the trees become large. 



SMALL -FRUIT IRRIGATION 



In the irrigation of strawberries, raspberries, black- 

 berries, and similar fruits, the furrow method will 

 almost always be practiced, leading a slender stream 

 along each side of the row and quite close to it. 



Blackberry and raspberry roots penetrate to a suf- 

 ficient depth to permit a thorough saturation of the 

 soil and good cultivation before the berries are ready 

 to pick, so that no irrigation will be required during 



