224 
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 he treated differently, 
some kinds of fruit requiring more copious watering than others. 
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 irriga- 
tion. Unless the soil is naturally well drained a copious supply of 
water will turn it into a quagmire, which will prevent proper culti- 
vation 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 ex- 
ceed the value of the profits expected from the application of water 
on to the land, irrigation is unprofitable; otherwise, underground 
drainage may be said to remove the excess of moisture in winter, 
and to tend to retain it in the summer months, thus making 
the soil, and consequently the roots, warm when the weather is cold 
and cool in dry and hot weather. Complete drainage and moderate 
moisture are as necessary to the healthy growth of the root system 
of the plant as pruning and spraying with insecticides to the healthy 
growth of the branches and leaves, and the production of a crop of 
sound, showy, and well-matured fruit. 
