The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-05-14


in any other working community on
earth. .About the only fault is that the
success makes people too extravagant,
and makes them buy from abroad too
rAuch that they could az we'll raise ct
home.
Irrigation has wrought changes here
more radical and rapid than any before
seen on earth. Within 10 years IL has
reclaimed what seemed hopeless desert
and made the most prosperous part Of
the state OF what the northern part then
Hneered at as "the COW Counties" It
has exactly reversed the judgment OF
the wisest men of the past, reversed all
land values and standards of value,
taught that there Ia no such thing ae
poor land il it Is warm. well drained and
can be irrigated, and has been the direct
means OF working out many valuable
discoveries in fruit growing and general
tillage that would otherwise have lain
for ages unsupported.
There is an idea still prevalent that
irrigation injuries the quality of fruit, an
ides kept af1oat by the owners Of land
that can never get any water. You will
never hear this from anyone who has
discovered that the world has moved in
the last 15 years. Drenching Injuries
pfruit whether from ditch or the clouds.
But irrigation now means putting on
the right amount OF water at the right
time and in the right way. This makes
the best fruit on earth and the greatest
quantity of the finest grade.
Irrigation is an art that must be
learned. ANY one is foolish to try to
work out his own experience when it
has been done for him. One left to
himself is likely to make q sorry mud
die OF the best water supply on the best
soil and under the best sun. Irrigation
has been brought in Southern California
to the highest perfection, for it has been
worked out by men with plenty OF
means to experiment and await results,
and who have tried all the known sys-
TENS of the world with patience and
care. Most OF the best settlements now
produce more stuff to the acre and bet
ter quality with less water and less
work and annoyance than any other
part of the world. Butcit took years to
learn to do it.
Almost all kinds of ground are now
irrigated here. Leveling 10 not neces-
sary or anything approaching it, The
ground should, however, be graded to
an even slope on every face on which
water is to run. This does not much
increase the cost and quickly repays it
in convenience alone.
The methods may seem to vary much,
they may all be reduced to three: food
| ing, small burrows and basins. The
choice will depend upon the texture Of
| the soil, the amount of water available
sndsthe size and continuance OF the head
| or stream in which it may be had. The
best OF all is the small furrow system,
| for in it's effect it is exactly like long,
slow, soaking rain.
For q 10-acre tract from $50 to 200
streams, each running about gallon
and q half or q gallon minute, are
turned into small burrows running
across the tract at intervals of three or
four feet. These average some three or
| four inches deep and are rapidly made
with'a email corn pillow. These streams
are fed from small fume laid along
the upper side of the tract with small
| gates regulating opposite the ends OF the
| burrows. These insure uniform deliv-
cry OF water to the burrows. AT first one
would suppose these little streams would
never get anywhere but if you will have
| patience you will find them across the
tract in from 20 to 80 hours or so. They
are then allowed to run q day or two
longer, when the whole tract ia in about
the game condition that il wnnld be after
a Boaking rainz0f thrgeincnes, Of which
about 80 per cent goee into the ground.
Ii the slope of the ground is too great
to allow running these streams straight
down, they are run diagonally or later
ally or on. curving lines. Hillsides,
knobs and other slopes that but few
years ago we're thought impossible to
| irrigate to advantage are now the most
valuable part OF the whole country, the
trees or vines being planted on contours
where the water will run the best. Ter
racing is rare except on very steep hill
sides. The cutting OF the soil from win
ter rains is prevented on slopes by let.
ting the grass and weeds grow to bind
the soil, which email growth quickly
does, cultivation being of little import
ance in the winter where one has plenty
of water in summer.
I Sometimes the soil is so sandy or
loose that these little streams drop
through too rapidly or fail to soak, side
wise to meet the water from the next
! stream; and often this cannot be pre-
vented by enlsrging the streams to any
ordinary extent. In such cases flooding
10 about the only way. The ground is
| turned into series OF basins by ridges
thrown up by the pillow, or by a sled
with solid converging runners, called a
"ridger," which is dragged backward.
The size of these basins will depend up
on the slope OF the ground. A stream OF
about two cubic feet second, or 900
gallons minute, will fill all these on 10
acres in few hours to an average depth
OF three inches, the water flowing from
one basin to another as fast as the first
fills. This gives almost as good wet
ting as the small furrow method, but not
as uniform or effective, while some
packing and pudding Of the ground
result. which do not in the other case.
Where water il scarce, or can be had
only in small, continuous stream, in
stead of in large, accumulated heads,
small basins around the trees are used
These vary in size with the tree, the
water supply and the soil, and are filed
with hose or a email furrow carrying
water. In this case the tree is practi-
cally grown in flower pot of dry earth,
and on the outer edge is debatable ter
ritoro, into which new roots are con-
| stantly coaxed, only to find it drying
out about the time they get there. Re-
marksble results are obtained in many
places by this defective method; but
they only prove what would happen If
the better methods were used. Where
the rainfall is pretty good and trees need
only drink and water to perspire, this
will do quite well. One or two applica-