8 



In preparing the ground for irrigation a deep furrow is made between 

 each two rows of the plants by means of a plow drawn by one horse ; 

 this plow is so constructed as to throw the dirt to each side of the fur- 

 row. After one of the fields has been thus furrowed out, a cross-furrow 

 is made at the ends of these furrows on the highest ground, and the 

 water is turned into this cross-furrow from one of the irrigating ditches. 

 From this furrow the water is in turn let into one of the other furrows, 

 one or two at a time, according to the amount of water supplied by the 

 cross-furrow. 



Dams are placed in the irrigating furrows at a distance of about one 

 rod apart, and as soon as the furrow is filled with water to the first dam 

 the latter is removed, and the water flows on to the second dam, and 

 at the proper time this one is also removed; and this process is repeated 

 until all the furrows have been supplied with water. 



The next day or so a one-horse cultivator is run once or twice through 

 each of these furrows, for the purpose of filling them up, and also to 

 loosen up the soil to prevent its drying out too rapidly. If the field is 

 weedy the men follow with hoes, and cut out the weeds. 



In this manner the plants are treated until the time for gathering the 

 flowers arrives, with the exception that the irrigating is dispensed with 

 during the rainy winter season. 



A few of the plants will produce flowers the first year after having 

 been transplanted to the fields, but they produce the most profusely 

 about the third year. The majority of the plants now growing upon 

 the Buhach plantation are six years old, and still bear well. A certain 

 proportion of the plants die every year, and their places are supplied 

 with young plants during the winter season. 



The flowers are gathered during the months of May or June. The 

 operator seizes all of the flower-stems growing upon one plant in one of 

 his hands, and with the other cuts them off 3 or 4 inches above the 

 ground by means of a sharp, hooked knife resembling an old-fashioned 

 hand-sickle. They are then conveyed to a wooden stand to which is 

 affixed an iron comb, the teeth of which are wide enough apart to per- 

 mit the flower- stems to pass between them, but are sufficiently close to- 

 gether to catch the flower-heads. The operator takes a handful of the 

 flower stems, catching them below all of the flowers, and passes the 

 stems between the teeth of the iron comb, the latter being between his 

 hand and the lowest flower ; then giving his hand a jerk the flowers are 

 pulled off of the stems and fall into a wooden box, while the stems are 

 thrown to one side out of the way, to be burned as soon as dry enough. 



The flowers are spread out to dry, and at night are covered up to pre- 

 vent the dew from falling upon them, which would naturally injure 

 their insecticidal qualities. As soon as they have been thoroughly dried 

 they are put into sacks and sent in car-load lots to the mill at Stockton. 



Arriving at the mill the flowers are fed to a set of burr mill-stones, 

 just as wheat is handled in making flour by the old process. The grist 



