164 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
rapidly, and if we have a big volume it 
will reach the lower point in a short 
time and not soak into the ground as 
rapidly as when put into a fresh fur¬ 
row. Water will flow over dry sand 
quicker and longer than over wet sand. 
Mr. Robinson: Down with us wc use 
continuous concrete tile poured into a 
mould and laid in a trench out of a ma¬ 
chine-like worm. As soon as it hardens 
it is good for running water through. 
We have inch and a half valves every 
two and a half feet, and can run water 
down these middles. It is cheap and 
quick to lay, and has given us good sat¬ 
isfaction. 
Mr. Stanley: The concrete tile is used 
almost exclusively in the West. 
Mr. Marks: I would like to ask Mr. 
Stanley if he thinks we can cultivate 
sufficiently to overcome the necessity for 
irrigation? 
Mr. Stanley: I think it can be done 
to a large extent. I know in some cases 
they claim they have saved their crops 
by cultivation, but of course if it becomes 
too dry, you cannot. I think most of 
the big growers will agree that money 
spent for irrigation is well spent. 
Mr. Marks: I want to state that six 
or eight years ago we had about nine 
months of drought in our section in Polk 
County, near Winter Hlaven. I kept the 
cultivator going all through that drought 
every week, and sometimes a little often- 
er. Some of my neighbors irrigated. The 
result was, I never lost any leaves nor 
any fruit. Some of the growers in the 
neighborhood who did irrigate, lost fruit 
and flowers. That was why I asked the 
question. 
Mr. Felt: The late Dr. Inman told 
me he had a large acreage, part under 
irrigation and part not irrigated, and he 
told me that about nineteen years out 
of twenty, he did as well with the cul¬ 
tivator as with the irrigator. 
Mr. Peterkin : The labor question with 
the Campbell sprinkler is a good point 
in its favor. You can start your engine 
and open your valves and then go about 
your other work. Labor is practically 
eliminated. i 
Mr. -: What is the cost of 
maintenance for ten acres? 
Mr. Peterkin: That is a question that 
has not been answered yet. This irri¬ 
gation was turned over to the Scott 
Lake Farm only two weeks ago, and 
therefore the actual cost of maintaining 
it has not yet been ascertained. The en¬ 
gine is ioo horse-power, and is run on 
gasoline. It is a system that should be 
seen. The work has been done at Scott 
Lake Farm, and anyone who can run 
out there, I know they will be glad to 
show it to you. It is seven miles from 
Bartow, Lakeland or Mulberry. 
