The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-07-26
Watering Plants.

There is much labor lost in needless
/ or injudicious or even Injurious artificial
watering of plants, fact to which the
Tribune has invited attention for several
years. The London Mark Lane En-
press has a timely and well-considered
chapter on the subject, which we trans
fer to these columns as supplying the
Lime upon line that seems necessary
in agricultural journalism, both as re-
minder to the informed but foroetful.
and as new matter to the readers who
are just beginning to take interest in the
industry that supports all others:
daily morning sprinklings under
the influence of the sun which is increas-
ing in power every moment is worse
than useless, as the rapid evaporation
that follows lowers the temperature of
the ground so much as to be positively
injurious, and the very fact that the sur
face dries so quickly proves to demon
stratlOn that the moisture is not appro-
priated 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,
least several hours to appropriate the
moisture thatis given, and to become re-
freshed for the work of the follOwinesday.
"A sound rule in the watering of
plants and crops is to wait until they
require artificial support, and then to
give it cOpiously. It is of no use apply
ing water unless sufficient is given to
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; it
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
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 far
better than the iucessant use of the wa
far-ranf Rods in
can seldom be watered beneficiallv. If
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 until |
the seedlings. appear. For instance, the !
present is the time for sowing peas, for. |
the latest crops; colewOrts, for occupy /
ing vacant ground after the early crops |
are removed; and cauliiowers 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 a |
simple item of information not COM |
monty found in books, yet worth re-
Numbering.
Roses, dceiduous and evergreen
shrubs, and also fruit trees that were |
pAdhteu late IN thS spring, Will, ID dry |
soils, need watering now. Let it be |
given literally, as much as can be /
poured in the soil, and in the morning |
dust over the surface. or it VIII shrink |
and crack and much Of the water es-
cape into the air again. Trees and /
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 cocoa |
fiber refuse, which is very cheap, spread /
on the soil, has neat appearance, and |
is an efficient conservator of moisture |
in the earth. ~ Y Tribune,