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BETTER FRUIT 



Page 2S 



Figure S— THK USK OI- "A" SCKAI'KR IN 1 ; L' I LI ) 1 .\ ( . Dllt IlKS 



form of the cement lined ditch. At 

 the present time the cost of rich con- 

 crete in place would be about $9 per 

 cubic yard for the larger flumes and 

 $10.50 for the smaller sizes. The quan- 

 tity of concrete required per linear foot 

 of flume depends on its size and the 

 thickness of its sides and bottom. The 

 dimensions given in Figure 13 are for 

 light rather than for heavy flumes, and 

 are designed for localities where there 

 is little frost. 



For large head flumes and laterals 

 many fruit growers first carefully pre- 

 pare an earthen ditch which has carried 

 water for at least one season and after- 

 wards line the inner surface with cement 

 concrete. Figure 14 shows a section of 

 such a ditch. 



Several years ago 3,200 linear feet of 

 head ditches were lined for twenty-six 

 and one-half cents per foot; they were 

 fourteen inches on the bottom, with 

 eighteen-inch sides and a two-inch lining. 

 The cement cost $3.85 per barrel, gravel 

 seventy-five cents per yard and labor 

 $1.75 to $2.50 per day. 



Head flumes, being placed on the sur- 

 face of the ground, interfere with the free 

 passage of teams in cultivating, irrigat- 

 ing and harvesting the crop. Dead leaves 

 from shade and fruit trees also clog the 

 small openings in the flumes. These and 

 other objections to flumes have induced 

 many fruit growers of Southern Califor- 

 nia to convey the water in underground 



•-IGURE 9— WOODEN BOX PLACED TX 

 BANK OF HEAD DFrCII 



pipes and distribute it through stand- 

 pipes placed at the heads of the rows of 

 trees. Both cement and clay pipes are 

 used for this purpose. 



The former are usually molded in two- 

 foot lengths, with beveled lap joints, and 

 consist of a one to three or one to four 

 mixture of cement and fine gravel and 

 sand. The most common sizes are six, 

 eight, ten and twelve inches in diameter, 

 having a thickness of shell in the twelve- 

 inch pipe of one and one-half inches, 

 which is reduced to a trifle more than 

 one inch in the six-inch pipe. Piping 

 of this kind, when well made and care- 

 fully laid, will withstand a head of ten 

 to sixteen feet. The clay pipe is similar 

 to that used in cities for sewers and, 

 having stronger joints, withstands a 

 greater pressure, but costs more. A line 

 of pipe is laid about two feet below the 

 surface from the feed main and measur- 

 ing box across the top of the orchard, 

 and as each row of trees is passed a 

 standpipe is inserted. The general plan 

 is shown in outline in Figure, 15. Various 

 devices are emploj'ed to convey the 

 water from the pipe to the surface of the 

 ground at the head of each tree row 

 and divide it up evenly among four to 

 six furrows. One of the most common 

 consists of a series of standpipes, the 

 top of each set rising to the same eleva- 

 tion. At each change of elevation special 

 standpipes are used, and in these are 

 inserted gates provided with overflows. 

 The manner of distributing the water 

 from a standpipe to the furrows of any 

 one row is shown in Figure 16. 



Occasionally a high pressure pipe is 

 substituted for cement and clay. This 

 is tapped at the head and in line with 

 each row of trees, and a small galvanized 

 iron pipe is inserted. These standpipes 

 are capped by an ordinary valve, which 

 regulates the flow to each row of trees. 

 This method is shown in operation in 

 Figure 17, where a young orchard is 

 being irrigated from three-quarter-inch 

 galvanized iron standpipes connected 

 with a thee-inch wooden pipe. 



The length of the furrow is often gov- 

 erned by the size of the orchard. The 

 rows of citrus trees seldom exceed forty 

 rods in length, but the apple orchards of 

 the Northwest are larger as a rule. 

 Even in large tracts it is doubtful if it 

 ever pays to run water in furrows more 

 than about 600 feet. Where the soil is 

 open and water sinks readily through it 

 short furrows should be used, otherwise 

 much water is lost in deep percolation 

 on the upper part of the tract. Professor 

 H. Culbertson, of San Diego County, 

 California, after a careful investigation 

 of this subject, has reached the conclu- 

 sion that on sandy or gravelly soil having 

 a steep slope the proper length of fur- 

 rows is 200 feet, while on heavier soils 

 and flatter slopes the length may be 

 increased to 600 feet. 



The grade of furrows varies quite 

 widely. In flat valleys it is often not 

 possible to obtain a fall greater than one 

 inch to 100 feet, while on steep slopes the 

 fall may reach twenty inches per 100 

 feet. On ordinary soils a grade of three 

 to four inches is to be preferred, and 

 where the fall exceeds eight to ten 

 inches to 100 feet the trees should be 

 set out in such a way as to decrease the 

 slope of the furrows. 



The number of furrows in orchards 

 depends on the age of the trees, the 

 space between the rows, the depth of 

 furrow and the character of the soil. 

 Nursery stock is irrigated by one or two 

 furrows and young trees by two to four. 

 A common spacing for shallow furrows 

 is two and one-half feet, while deeper 

 furrows are made three to four feet 

 apart. The general trend of orchard 

 practice is toward deep rather than shal- 

 low furrows, a depth of eight inches 

 being frequently used. 



The furrowing implement most com- 

 monly used by the orchadists of Orange 

 Count)% California, consists of a sulky 

 frame, to which are attached two or 

 three double mold-board plows. Those 

 who prefer a small number of deep fur- 

 rows use a twelve to fourteen-inch corn 

 lister. In Figure 18 is shown a furrower 

 made by attaching an arm to a cultivator 

 and then fastening two shovels to the 

 arm. In the view the space between the 

 furrows is four and one-half feet and 



Figure 10— WOODEN CHECK IN HEAD DITCH 



