Tuesday Afternoon, February ii 



President White: Gentlemen, will you come to order? Mr. 

 Work will take up the question of irrigation. 



IRRIGATION— ROUND TABLE 

 Led by Paul Work, Ithaca, New York. 



Mr. Work: We are scheduled this afternoon for a round table 

 discussion of the subject of irrigation. I know there are some men 

 here that have had experience along this line. There are some here 

 who are interested in the development of this feature of vegetable 

 production, and I think if we go into the subject with the idea of 

 comparing notes, of trading ideas, that we will get something out 

 of it — but don't expect much from this direction. My task is to 

 keep the rest stirred up. 



It might be well in beginning to say a word or two about the 

 general nature of the subject. All of us realize the necessity of 

 making certain conditions right, if we are to grow crops well. We 

 think that we must have an abundance of plant food in the ground 

 if our crops are to be successful; we think that we must have our 

 ground well prepared; we think that there must be an abundance of 

 humus. We feel very sure that we must have good seed, and if 

 we are to transplant young plants, we are very sure that we ought 

 to have, as Mr. Cook said this morning, good plants. And so it 

 goes through the list. There is an almost indefinite number of these 

 conditions. Now, there is a doctrine, we might call it, that ought 

 to be borne in mind in the discussion of any of these factors. It 

 may be stated thus : If a single growth factor is deficient to such 

 an extent as to limit the progress of the plant the amendment of 

 other factors is of little if any value. I think the best way I 

 can present it is by illustration. 



Suppose a man is starving. It does not make much difference 

 how much water you give him, and it doesn't make much difference 

 how much you preach to him the value of fresh air. He isn't going 

 to take much interest, and until you give him food, these others 

 will not do him much good. It is just the same with crops. Sup- 

 pose we do make all these conditions I have mentioned right; sup- 



