588 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. III. No. 68. 



NOTES UPON AGBICULTUBE AND HOB.TI- 



CULTUBE. 



SOIL lEEIGATION. 



A GOOD deal is being done in the experi- 

 ment stations in the application of water to 

 soils for purposes of crop growing. 



From the last issue of the Experiment 

 Station Eecord (Yol. 7, No. 6), under the 

 head of agricultural engineering, particular 

 mention is made of experiments in irriga- 

 tion at the "Utah Station. Under farm ir- 

 rigation it is gathered that two feet of water 

 is required for best results with grains upon 

 clay soil, while a sandy soil needs three and 

 a half feet. For wheat, clover and timothy 

 the intervals between irrigation should be 

 about twelve days. With spring wheat there 

 was a decrease of yield when there were more 

 than three waterings. Better results are 

 obtained by day than by night irrigation. 

 Fall watering favored timothy, but not 

 winter wheat. The flooding system is 

 superior to the method by furrows, and the 

 acre-foot unit is recommended by Professor 

 Mills for general adoption. 



Under orchard and vineyard irrigation 

 Professor Richman holds to the opinion 

 that the best plan is to apply the water but 

 a few times, supplying enough to reach 

 the deeper roots of the trees. Young trees 

 require more frequent watering than old 

 ones, and the opinion is erroneous that 

 water injures the trunk of trees even when 

 confined around the base by heaped-up 

 earth. 



Among other bulletins cited is one (No. 

 25) from the Nevada Station, largely a 

 compilation from publications of the Colo- 

 rado and Wyoming Stations, etc., which deals 

 with water storage measurements, pump- 

 ing, etc. Another is No. 6 of the Montana 

 Station, upon measurements of water, giv- 

 ing value of water, water duties and tables 

 for discharge over weirs. Several other 

 items are given upon this general subject 

 from Kansas and Washington. 



There is a manifest growing interest in 

 agricultural engineering, as it relates to the 

 distribution of water over the soil. 



While irrigation has been and will con- 

 tinue to be a leading feature of agriculture 

 in the arid regions of the West, there is 

 little doubt that it will also increase in 

 importance in the East. Field irrigation 

 may not become a common practice along 

 the Atlantic coast, but it seems likely that 

 methods will be provided for supplj'ing 

 water to truck and berry fields when there 

 is a shortage due to drouth. 



In a small way experiments with garden 

 crops have been carried on during the past 

 summer at the New Jersey Station, and the 

 results pubUshed in bulletin No. 115. From 

 the summary the following facts are gath- 

 ered: "Irrigation is quite favorable %o 

 bush beans, there being nearly three times 

 as many pounds of pods upon the belt re- 

 ceiving water as elsewhere in the field, be- 

 sides the quality was superior. * * * Irri- 

 gation prolonged the period of fruitfulness 

 of peppers and the yield was nearly doubled. 

 * * * Irrigation greatly increased the leaf 

 development of turnips, and probably there 

 would have been a corresponding growth of 

 roots were it not for the clubroot which 

 practically ruined the crop. * * * Irri- 

 gation for celery gave satisfactory re- 

 sults. * * * In marketable product in 

 pounds the diflference was three to one, 

 and in marketable value eight to one, in 

 favor of irrigation." Equally good results 

 may be hoped for with strawberries should 

 there be a dry spell just preceding fruiting 

 time. 



Irrigation in the greenhouse is taking 

 shape by means of tiles or pipes with fre- 

 quent outlets within the soil, that is, the 

 various experiments at the Ohio, Cornell, 

 West Yirgiuia and other Stations all point 

 toward the watering of greenhouse-grown 

 plants from below or by what is termed 

 sub-irrigation. 



