16 



BULLETIN 446, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In making furrows in alfalfa orchards the shovel plow is most fre- 

 quently used. For the 30 records under consideration, 19 used the 

 shovel plow, 11 with 1 horse and 7 with 2 horses; 8 used the culti- 

 vator, and 3 used miscellaneous tools. A crew of 1 man and 1 horse, 

 using the shovel plow, making the usual number of furrows — five 

 between rows — covered 5.02 acres per day, at a cost of 79.7 cents per 

 acre; while a crew of 1 man and 2 horses with the shovel plow aver- 

 aged 4.9 acres in 10 hours, at a cost of $1.12 per acre. Where the 

 6-foot cultivator was used, 7.57 acres, on an average, were covered 

 per day at a cost of 72.7 cents per acre. (See Table XI.) 



Table XI. — Average time and cost of making furrows in cover-crop orchards with the 

 6-foot cultivator or the shovel plow. 



Implement. 



Number of— 



Acres per 

 10 hours. 



Man- 

 hours 

 per acre. 



Horse- 

 hours 

 per acre. 



Cost per 



Men. 



Horses. 



acre. 





1 

 1 

 1 



2 

 1 

 2 



7.57 

 5.02 

 4.90 



1.32 

 1.99 

 2.06 



2.64 

 1.99 

 4.12 



$0,727 





.797 



Do 



1.120 







IRRIGATION. 



In the Wenatchee Valley the supply of water for irrigation pur- 

 poses is obtained principally from the Wenatchee River and its tribu- 

 taries. It is distributed at altitudes a little above the location of the 

 orchards through several irrigation ditches, thence to the orchards 

 through laterals. These laterals may be open ditches, wooden 

 flumes, or pipes. The water is delivered from the laterals to the 

 farm. At the point of delivery on the farm, the water received is 

 distributed either into earth head ditches, small wooden flumes, or 

 pipes, and from these it is distributed by means of furrows through- 

 out the orchard. Along the earth head ditches small wooden spouts 

 are placed at intervals to regulate the flow of water into the furrows. 

 The wooden flumes receiving the water from the laterals are usually 

 about 6 to 8 inches in width at the bottom, having sides 6 to 8 inches 

 in height, with auger holes at regular intervals through which the 

 water passes into furrows. Small metal slides or pieces of lath are 

 placed over the auger holes for the purpose of regulating the amount 

 of water passing into the furrows. Where the water is piped into 

 the orchard, there are usually placed at points opposite each tree row 

 small standpipes with garden valves, which deliver the water di- 

 rectly into the furrows. 



In regions where the supply of water is limited, the furrow system 

 seems to be the most satisfactory means of distributing the water. 

 This is practically the universal method for irrigating orchards 

 throughout the Northwest. 



