Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-07-27
Watering Plants.

or inJuolcious or even injurious artificial
watering OF plants, fact to which the
1T0e"e mas invited attention for several
gears. The London Mark Lane Err
press mas timely and well-considered
:hapter on the subject, which we trans
Ter 10 these columns as supplying the
lime upon line that seems necessary
IN agricultural journalism, both as re-
mlnuer to the informed but forgetful,
and as new matter to the readers who
are Just beginning to take interest in the
INDUSTRY that supports all others:
Dahy morning sprinklings under
the influence of the sun which IS increas-
ing In power every moment is worse
imam useless, as the rapid evaporation
that follows lowers the temperature oil
the ground so much as to be positively
injurious, and the very fact that the sur.
lace dries so quickly proves to demon
stratlon that the moisture is not appro-
Prlated by the plants or crops, but by
the atmosphere. This is not exactly
what is wanted; in fact, is the exact
opposite, as it is for the plants, and not
the air, that the moisture is intended
Watering to be effectual with outdoor
crops should be done in the evening
There is little or no evaporation then,
and consequently the crops have AT
least several hours to appropriate the
moisture that is given, and to become
refreshed for the work of the following
day.
3" A sound rule in the watering OF
plants and crops is TO wait until they
require artificial support, and then tc
give 1t copiously. 1t is of no use apply
ing water unless sufficient is given tc
penetrate to the roots of plants, and
even below them. Numbers of persons
are under the impression that they give
sufficient for this when, in fact, the
water may not penetrate half an inch; il
runs off the surface instead of percolat-
ing through it. This is sure to be the
case where daily sprinklings are INDUCED
In on the principle of giving every part
of the garden a little. 1t is far better
to divide the garden into sections and
to give each in turn an adequate sup
ply, even if the whole be not saturated
more than once a week. With the OBJ
ject of assisting the water to pass
through the dry surface it is often nee
essary to break it up slightly with q
fork, and it is always desirable to run
| the hoe through the surface on the fol
lowing morning, as soon as it is dry
enough to be worked freely, as this will
to very important extent arrest evap.
Grafton, and assist materially in the re.
| tention of both warmth and moisture in
the ground.
"Our remarks apply to plants and
crops that are established and not those
that are Immediately planted, which
often need watering daily and sprink-
ling frequently TO prevent whitening
but even in the case of these artificial
shade, when it can be given, will be fal
better than the incessant use of the wa.
ter-pOt. Beds in which seeds are sowr
can seldom be watered beneficially. Il
sowing must be done in dry weather
the proper method of supplying the
requisite amount of moisture is to flood
the drills before the seed is scattered in
them, and then shade the surface unit
the seedlings appear. For instance, the
present is the time for sowing peas, fol
the latest crops; coleworts, for occupy.
ing vacant ground after the early crops
are removed; and caulifiowers and let.
tuce for autumn use. Let the drills be
first saturated, and the seed will germ
mate far better than if it is sown first
and water given afterwards. This is 6
simple item of information not com
monty found in books. yet worth re
Numbering.
Roses, deciduous and evergreen
shrubs, and also fruit trees that were
planted late in the spring, will, in dry
Soils need watering now. Let it b,
given literally, as much as can be-
poured in the soil, and in the morning
dust over the surface. or it will shrink
and crack and much of the water es
cape into the air again. Trees ant
plants inserted close 10 walls must have
special attention, as the soil dries there
more quickly than in the open. Mulch
ing is an invaluable adjunct to water
ing, and two or three inches of coco;
fiber refuse, which is very cheap, spread
on the soil, has a neat appearance, anC
is an efficient conservator of moistur,
in the earth. ~ T. Tribune