CULTURE OUTSIDE CORN BELT 189 



mended as best in all cases. Soils of a very fine texture 

 that puddle easily will, no doubt, give better results 

 from the furrow method, while those of medium tex- 

 ture that are little inclined to puddle or bake may just 

 as well be flooded and thus save the extra labor and 

 expense in preparation and applying the water. If it 

 should be necessary to irrigate while the corn is yet 

 quite small, the furrow method should be followed, 

 because any puddling or packing close around the 

 plant at this time will check its growth and, perhaps, 

 prevent its reaching full development. The last culti- 

 vation before flooding should be made in the direction 

 that the water is expected to flow over the land, so that 

 the lines left by the implement may assist in its passage. 



When the furrow method is adopted, the inter- 

 tillage is just the same as that for flooding until the 

 crop is ready to be irrigated, then furrows are run, 

 usually half way between the rows, by a single shovel 

 plow sufficiently deep to permit the small stream of 

 water to flow through without flooding the rows. By 

 this method the moisture reaches the corn from the 

 furrow through capillarity and is not apt to cause pud- 

 dling or baking. It is presumed that the stream will 

 be confined to the furrow, though on pieces of land 

 that have not been carefully leveled and given head 

 ditches at proper intervals, the furrows are likely to 

 run over and flood large areas, and the portion of the 

 field adjoining the head ditch is much more thoroughly 

 saturated than that farthest away. When confined to 

 the furrows much water is wasted unless provision is 

 made to carry it on to another crop. The hilling sys- 

 tem of cultivation must accompany the furrow method 

 of irrigation, and this exposes more surface for evap- 

 oration, the ridges formed drying out rapidly. 



The time required for thorough saturation varies 

 greatly, depending upon the condition and texture of 



