TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



27 



rapidly, and virtually none will be lost by evaporation. The heavier 

 the soil the less readily will the water be taken in, but the more it will 

 spread laterally, consequently fewer streams are necessary, but the water 

 should be run a longer time. A subsoil furrow will allow the water to 

 sink very rapidly, and a large stream is accordingly necessary. On 

 light soils a greater number of streams should be run, if only for a few 

 hours, for on land of this nature the moisture will sink quickly and 

 spread but little. On soil of this kind, it is well to wet the space 

 between the trees by checking, " zigzaging," or in some other way. This 

 method has of late become quite popular with many, but to my mind it 

 can be overdone, for the cutting of roots to such a depth, even when the 

 furrow is made some distance from the tree, does not seem a natural 

 proceeding. 



Each orchardist must, or should, study his subsoil carefully, and this 

 can best be done with pick and shovel .propelled by the "hired man," if 

 such a luxury is possessed. Many of us deliberately waste water by 

 running a longer time than is necessary on the light soil. A rough 

 study of a piece of my ground has caused me to alter my methods 

 materially. I ascertained that on the loamy soil, with some rock under- 

 neath, water which had been run thirty-six hours had penetrated more 

 than 7 feet, and at a depth of 5 feet had spread 4^ feet on each side. 

 All the water was in the ground. Two streams, then, in space between 

 rows 20 feet apart, would wet all the land. How much better this way 

 than the soaking of the surface for a few hours. 



The plan, adopted by many, of flushing through the streams, and then 

 allowing the bottom of the furrows to become dry and crusted over 

 before regulating, should be condemned, for by so doing one simply 

 counteracts all the effects of the deep furrow. The water will spread 

 on the surface without penetrating. When the work is finished the 

 land appears to be plentifully irrigated, but use a shovel and see how 

 many roots are really treated to a wetting. I have seen trees showing 

 signs of drought while the soil a few inches below the surface was moist; 

 the roots down deep were dry, and those on the surface could not 

 draw enough moisture to satisfy the tree. 



On lighter soil, the rows should be short. If too long, the trees 

 at the upper end receive a far greater amount of water than is their due. 

 Streams 150 feet long will answer very well. On slightly heavier soil 

 they may be twice that length. As a rule, the longer the stream the more 

 unevenly will the water be distributed. A simple and effective way to 

 give the trees at the lower end of the place their share, is to cross- 

 furrow say one third the way up, and after the streams have been 

 fairly well regulated take up what would be wasted by cutting in 

 between the trees. This is an easier and better way than to depend on 

 regulating entirely at the head ditch. 



