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not be given later than the time the grapes are " turning," or other- 

 wise the must will be watery and the wine will be thin, poor in 

 colour, in flavour, and in keeping qualities. 



Over the fruit-growing districts of this State, described in this 

 handbook, grape vines do remarkably well without the assistance of 

 any irrigation whatever, provided the soil is kept in a state of good 

 cultivation. 



So far as I have been able to observe, the tendency generally 

 with fruit growers who have water laid on in their orchards is to 

 overdo irrigation. Fruit trees more especially need to be 

 irrigated with discrimination, or else the fruit, instead of being 

 firm, fleshy, of good flavour, and of good keeping quality, is, on the 

 reverse, spongy, squashy, insipid in taste and flavour, easily 

 bruised during the course of carrying to market, and of poor keeping 

 quality. 



In planting an orchard where irrigation is contemplated, the 

 grower should bear in mind that each variety of fruit requires 

 watering at different times ; for instance, watering with cold water 

 when the tree is in full blossom might lead, through sudden shock, 

 to considerable injury, and, as a consequence, reduced crop. With 

 trees, therefore, blossoming at different times it is advisable to 

 keep them separate ; again each row should be planted with trees 

 of the same age for reasons already discussed. Another reason is 

 that by keeping the trees separate each sort may be treated 

 differently, some kinds of fruit requiring more watering than 

 others. 



Practical irrigationists turn on water in the distributing 

 channels in the afternoon, and unless the trees imperiously need it, 

 cut it off in the morning, as during the day the soil may get so hot 

 that should cold water be applied suddenly to the roots serious 

 injury would ensue. 



Late in the season the irrigation of fruit trees might be more 

 injurious than beneficial, for the reason that the soil and the water 

 beginning to cool, the trees might receive a sudden shock, or they 

 might start growing again, striking new shoots, instead of concen- 

 trating all their energy towards ripening the fruits and building up 

 fruit buds. 



One more important point, if neglected, would annul the bene- 

 fits derived from irrigation. 



It refers to the necessity of combining Drainage with irrigation. 

 Unless the soil is naturally well drained a copious supply of water 

 will turn it into a quagmire, which will prevent proper cultivation 

 and at the same time injure the roots of the trees. 



It may be said that wherever land is so situated that natural 

 drainage does not exist and the cost of sub-soil drainage would 

 exceed the value of the profits expected from the application of 

 water on to the land, irrigation is impracticable ; in fact, under- 

 ground drainage may be said to remove the excess of moisture in 



