2S 



TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



There is yet another system of irrigation which has been tried by 

 some, occasionally with success, but oftener with failure. I allude to 

 what is called subirrigation, although I have tried to impress on your 

 minds that all trees should be subirrigated. The system invented by 

 Mr. F. M. Chapman, of Covina, is, so far as I know, as successful as 

 any in operation, and certainly the portion of the orchard in which 

 this is installed compares most favorably with any I have seen. Mr. 

 Chapman has given these trees no irrigation in four years except by 

 this underground system. He is confident that 20 per cent of the water 

 is saved, and virtually all of the labor of preparation and cultivation, 

 so irksome when continued throughout a long dry season. Briefly 

 described, the system consists of a main from which run laterals to the 

 tops of small reservoirs built in the ground, in the center of squares 

 made by four 'trees. The small pipes are made of cement and in a very 

 ingenious way. A trench having been dug and leveled, two pieces of 

 2 by 6 are laid edgeways in the bottom about 5 inches apart. These 

 serve as frames. A floor of cement is laid, and on this is placed a 2- 

 inch iron pipe to serve as core. Around this is packed cement, which 

 soon hardens. The core is then drawn out, leaving a rectangular pipe 

 of cement with 2-inch opening. The reservoirs mentioned are also 

 built in the ground, being, when finished, circular basins with cement 

 sides and earth bottom. The pipes and reservoirs are buried in the 

 ground deep enough to be safe from plow point and cultivator teeth. 

 When in operation the reservoir at the upper end of the row is filled, 

 then the second, and so on down to the last; when this is full all are. 

 The water is then regulated at the main so that none wastes from the 

 bottom. Mr. Chapman's trees are 24 feet apart, and he says that with 

 water standing in basins less than twenty-four hours the moisture will 

 be drawn over to the tree and will rise to the level of the water in the 

 reservoir. The cost is about $125 per acre. 



There are other and cheaper, and consequently less permanent, 

 systems. An inverted V flume, laid under a berry patch, is of great 

 convenience, and is said to work well — barring gophers. What may be 

 termed a combination of the furrow and the subirrigation systems is 

 made by running a single furrow near a row of trees, and connecting 

 this by shovel with a hole dug, say 2 feet deep, between the trees, allow- 

 ing the water to pass down the furrow and keeping the holes filled the 

 necessary time. This has been tried by a number of our orchardists, 

 but the extra cost of digging the holes discouraged the continuance of 

 the practice. 



So much for irrigation. The cultivation to follow is of almost equal 

 importance. It should be done reasonably deep, but I do not believe it 

 necessary or advisable to run the cultivator in 8 inches, as many claim. 

 Land in which there are no roots will retain moisture throughout an 



