The herald., 1898-01-02

lie surface wherever it was cul-

ure to the surface wherever it was cul-
tivated.
1t is clear from these results that SO
much moisture should be in the subsoil
all the time. The more there Is without
making it too wet the less water will be
needed for irrigation in the summer. In
the summer of 1884 scarcely anything
but the late fruits like oranges needed
any irrigation at all. In most deciduous
orchards and vineyards no. water was
used, although there was plenty in the
bitches. The subsoil must not hold
water, but it can hardly hold too much
moisture. If it were everywhere in the
same condition every year that 1t was
during the summer of 1884 then our
water supplies would irrigate almost
double the area of everything but or
anges and alfalfa that they now serve.
And even the area in oranges and alfalfa
| could be largely extended by having
such moist subsoil always beneath the
| top soil.
If water cannot be stored above
ground until needed the next best place
is in the ground. The water that now
runs to waste from the bitches, artesian
wells and development works, if put
into the subsoil instead of going to sea
in winter, would have the same effect
that a heavy rainfall will have on the
summer crops and on the amount Of
water required for summer and fall ir-
rigation. The danger of getting too much
in is no greater than that of getting too
much from the clouds. On all ground
well enough drained to be respectable
fruit land it Is impossible to get an ex-
cess of water. Moisture will stay there,
but water will not. The irrigation can
be easily regulated SO as to prevent too
much entering, but the danger will gen.
orally be the other way. Too much
water in summer when it is warm and
the trees are growing Is quite another
matter. Then it is quite possible to
give too much. But in winter when trees
are dormant and the water cold 1t is Inn
possible to hurt deciduous trees, while
the winter above referred to shows the
4 difficulty Of hurting oranges, and the
lemon is probably as hard to injure. In
any case there is no danger from rum
ming the water down the center of the
rows and letting 1t fill the subsoil there
so that the dryness in that part cannot
sap the ground around the trees that
is wet in summer. The winter water Is
so much wealth that in some way should
be saved, and generally there is no res
erVO1r above ground available for 1t.
Heretofore there has been some excuse
| for the waste of this wealth, but those
who do not use it this winter are GER
| tain to regret it If the rainfall should
be short. 1t will take far more than the
, average rainfall this winter to put the
subsoil in good condition, while the un-
: foreground supplies and the streams are
} certain to reach the lowest point yet
known If we do not have something more
: than the average or very extraordi-
: nary distribution of an average rain
fall.
: The waste of water from artesian
wells alone is something beyond all
conception. believe there is a statute
/ against leaving these wells uncapped,
5 but have never heard of it's enforcement.
Y But every artesian well and every de-
velopment cut Is simply tap on a res
ervoir. To leave it open when not
S wanted is the same as leaving the gate
, of the Bear Valley dam open when no
one is using the water. The dam gen.
{ orally consists of friction instead of q
| masonry wall, but the principle is the
: same. The man who owns the well may
t not feel it, but it may be robbing doz-
en- irrigators on the upper part of the
! belt if the season should be dry.
T. S. VAN DYKE.