8 BULLETIN 499, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. = 
periods during the two seasons the wilting coefficient was nearly 
reached. In other words, the trees in the check were wilted three times 
during the two summer seasons, while the trees in the basins never 
wilted. It will be seen from a comparison of sections C and D that 
this wilting took place with available moisture in the fourth foot 
of soil. 
TasBLe 1.—Average percentages of total and available soil moisture in the Sunny 
Mountain grove, California, in 1914 and 1915. 
[Note.—A miner’s inch of water flowing 24 hours will increase the moisture content of an acre of soil approx- 
imately 1 per cent to a depth of 3 feet.] 
Before Before | After eepauie| Before 
Soil treatment,} 1914 July 7.| Aug. 1.| “U2 | Sept. 2.) Wriee- |__| trriga- ie 
s r : é y 7. g-1.] “tion, | 5 pt. 2. tion, tion, | 28° for 
Aug.15.. Sept.21.| Oct. 6. | Nov. 4 BSL Sse 
A.—Total in the first 3 feet: | 
Mulcheda ee 9.4 12.2 8.9 12.9 8.2 15.2 18.8 rhe} 12.1 
niliavated=—20 eee Dak FST 5.9 | 8.9 ee eS 14.6 6.5 8.3 
B.—Total in the second 3 feet: 
Matched so 5 2a ere | 10.8 ics 10.4 | 9.9 10.1 11.9 15.9 11.0 TES 
Guiltivated 225222. <2: 3 ees 9.1 8.9 9.2 8.3 7.9 11.3 7.9 rhe, 
C.—Avyailable in the first 3 
feet: | 
Wiulehed ss = 32 se 2.6 33D 2-5 | 6.2 1.7 8.5 ipsa! 4.7 Tye 
Critivated ics 2 = = sos =| 2.0 1.0 -6 | 2.6 —.6 3.2 8.4 -6 1.5 
D.—Avyailable in the second 
3 feet: | 
Muicheds= =— ee 4.2 | 4.2 4.2 3.4 3.6 5a 9.3 4.8 4.9 
Caliivated == 255 222.52 F Rest Ia 2.4 2.6 225 2.0 2.5 5.3 1.8 2.5 
Dates of sampling before and after irrigation. g 
Boile-|8-|2 |S :|5 12 13 1 SoS oe ee 
Soil treatment, 1915. < < 5 = = = = S ay os XS. S 2 
nN 1D =) f=} Te oO 1D <=) 
oS <= ro) == ) = ° = r) = rs) > 
faa < aa) < A |< fea < Ss ji< jaa) < 
A.—Total in the first 3 feet 
Myuichéds<! 5-5 8.8 | 17.8 | 9.5] 11.8 8.7 | 14.4 9.4 | 14.7 9.1 13.9 9.8 | 11.6 
Caltivated') 2222-5: Pep Fe Fad 5 | 8.6 | 11.2 5.9 | 10.4 5.6 9.9 5.0 |-10.9 43 8.6 
B.—Total in the second 3 | 
feet: 
Mulched= 222-2 = 10.6 | 12.8 | 10.4 | 12.2 | 10.0 | 11.5 | 11.0] 11.5 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 10.4 | 11.1 
Gultivated—- 6.8 | 11.5 | 10.0 | 10.3 9.6 9.8 9.0 9.0 154 Soy ee 9.1 
=e in the first 3 
eet: j : i 
Minlchod seca Oh Se 2.71 10.9|-2.8| 7.8] 2.7] 7.8] 2.9] 86] 3.1] 72] 3.6] 5.4 
Cultivated.._.......... 1819.11 25) 523) 07 | 28) Sei eats | 5.5 |-1.2| 2.9 
D.— Available in the second 
3 feet: 
Maulehedis 225). tess ss 4.6 6.6) 3.8 6.0 4.9 4.2 5.1 5-17 3.8 5.8 4.7 5.0 
CGaliavaied= 2-2 ==. 2.6 yer 3.3 4.6 3.8 3.4 4.8 7a: 2.3 2.8 1.0 3.3 
1The mulched treatments were with basin irrigation; the cultivated, with furrow irrigation. 
SOIL-MOISTURE MEASUREMENTS IN BASINS, UNDER COVER © 
CROPS, AND UNDER A SOIL MULCH IN THE VIVIENDA GROVE. — 
In the spring of 1915 a more extended series of experiments was q 
started in an orange grove on sandy loam soil in the Vivienda tract, 
near Riverside. This soil is a little heavier than that of the Sunny i 
Mountain grove. 3 
