ivn BETTER FRUIT ;'<-gr 



SECLECTING AND THE IRRIGATION OF ORCHARDS 



BY DON H. BARK, 



LARGER profits are no doubt made 

 from orchards under favorable con- 

 ditions than from any other crop 

 grown in Idaho. This is true, however, 

 only when the orchardist understands his 

 business and when all conditions are 

 right. Under adverse conditions the 

 losses from orcharding may be equally 

 as great as the gain under favorable con- 

 ditions. Orchards require a larger out- 

 lay than almost any other crop at the 

 start owing to the fact that the trees are 

 expensive and that no returns can be had 

 before the fifth year. This emphasizes 

 the fact that great care should be taken 

 at the outset in the selection of varieties 

 and the site on which to plant the trees, 

 as well as in the preparation of the land 

 and the care of the trees after planting. 



The selection of a favorable site at the 

 outset is very essential, for even the best 

 of trees and care will not bring large 

 profits on a poor site. In localities sus- 

 ceptible to late spring frosts a high, 

 sloping field should be selected. The 

 most favored sites in this section are 

 generally those which slope toward the 

 north and northeast. These slopes do 

 not receive the direct rays of the sun in 

 the hot part of the day, and the trees will 

 be held back to a considerable extent in 

 the spring and the blossoms are not 

 liable to appear until after all danger 

 from frost is passed. Orchards do best 

 on deep, well drained soil. Trees are 

 gross feeders, and the soil should be 

 loose enough so that the roots can 

 readily penetrate to considerable depth. 

 Almost any of our Idaho soils that fulfill 

 the above requirements should grow 

 good trees. Where one insists on plant- 

 ing an orchard on soil that is underlaid 

 at a shallow depth, with hardpan, it has 

 been found to be beneficial to break the 

 hardpan under each tree, either by 

 mechanical means or by the use of some 

 explosive. This loosens up the soil so 

 that the roots and water can get down 

 through the hardpan. The action of 

 roots and water will soon soften and dis- 

 integrate all but the most persistent of 

 hardpan. Our raw soils as a rule con- 

 tain but little humus, and for that reason 

 orchards will do much better if planted 

 upon ground that has been in clover or 

 alfalfa for two or three j'ears. Many do 

 not care to wait until the clover has 

 added the necessary humus and insist 

 upon planting orchards on raw soils. In 

 such cases the ground should be leveled 

 before the trees are planted and red 

 clover should be planted as a cover crop 

 during the first or second year. This 

 supplies the necessary humus and nitro- 

 gen at a very rapid rate, and in many 

 cases orchards do as well as when 

 planted on soil that has grown clover 

 for some time. Alfalfa should never be 

 planted in an orchard, as it is a deep 

 rooted, gross feeder and is too hard to 

 kill out. 



After one has selected the site for an 

 orchard and has decided whether he will 

 plant it on new or old ground the next 

 thing to think about is the laying out of 

 the ground and the preparation of the 



IRRIGATION ENGINEER IN CHARGE OF INVESTIGATIONS OF IDAHO 



land. Should the orchard be planted on 

 raw ground about the first thing that 

 should be thought of is the supply ditch 

 for the land. This, of caurse, should be 

 built of sufficient size and capacity, and 

 should be made to run along the highest 

 side of the field. The proper grade for 

 supply ditches on ordinary soils is about 

 two. inches to the hundred feet. 



T 1 



Figure 24— COMBINATION OF 

 CHECK AND FURROW 

 METHOD 



Several kinds of S3'stems are used for 

 the irrigation of orchards, but the furrow 

 system is by far the most common in 

 this locality, and is to be recommended 

 in most cases. Where the furrow system 

 is used the tree rows should be laid out 

 at the beginning according to the topog- 

 raphy of the land and in such directions 

 that the water can be made to run down 

 along and parallel to the tree rows. 

 Many who are new at the business do 

 not consider that the ground needs much 

 leveling and preparation before putting 

 in orchards, as they are inclined to think 

 that the water may be guided in almost 

 any direction by means of deep furrows 

 along the tree rows. This, however, is 

 a mistake. The land should be thor- 



oughly leveled, so that the ground can 

 be irrigated evenly over its entire area. 

 This is found to be essential when cover 

 crops are planted in the orchard. If the 

 ground is uneven and poorly prepared 

 an even stand of the cover crop, which 

 is so essential, cannot be secured. With 

 ground that is quite uniform and has 

 only small irregularities of surface the 

 common float, or plank leveler, is some- 

 times all that is required for leveling. 

 This should be run across at least once 

 in each direction in order to secure an 

 even surface. If knolls and irregularities 

 exist that cannot be taken off and evened 

 up by this method the Fresno scraper 

 will be found an efficient tool. In level- 

 ing the ground for irrigation it must be 

 borne in mind that the hollows which 

 are filled with loose dirt will settle, and 

 must be filled full enough to make an 

 allowance for the settlement after the 

 water is applied. 



The Shuart grader is a tool which is 

 coming much into use for the prepara- 

 tion of new land. Although it will not 

 move as much earth in a day as the com- 

 mon Fresno better work can be done 

 with it in the hands of a novice. 



It has been my experience that it is 

 always best to run the furrows and tree 

 rows down the greatest slope unless it 

 is excessive, in which case they must be 

 circled around the side hill at a slight 

 grade more nearly approaching a con- 

 tour. It is natural for water to run 

 down the steepest slope, and it will need 

 much less attention than if run in some 

 other direction. Washing is prevented 

 by using some device to regulate the 

 flow of water in each furrov^-. Lath 

 tubes in the ditch banks are frequently 

 used for this purpose. Steep slopes 

 must be irrigated v^-ith comparatively 

 small amounts" of water in each furrow 

 in order to prevent watshing. ^Nlany 

 orchards have been planted in the last 

 few years upon steep side hills, many 

 of which are far too steep to allow the 

 water to be run down the slopes. In 





















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l-ir.rRE 26— RELATION BETWEEN TEMPERATURE AND EVAPORATION FROM 

 A WATER SURFACE AT TULARE. CALIFORNIA 



