The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-01-24
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AN IRRi 3ATED GARDEN.
The Plot Should Be Located as Near
House as Soil and Water Supply
Will Permit-By S. Fortier,
U. S. Irrigation Engineer.

For obvious reasons the farm gar
den which is intended for growing
small fruits and vegetables. for home
use should be located as near to the
farm buildings as possible. The next
factors In Importance are suitable
soil and an ample water supply, read
lily obtainable. AS regards soil, we'll
drained loan is the best for an irr;.
gated garden. Soils which are natur-
ally either too heavy or too light for
such purpose can be much improved
by proper treatment. For adobe soils,
Prof. WicksOn, directtS Of the Cali
fornia experiment station. recon-
mends the use of air-slaked linl+e,
deep and thorough tillage, and the
blowing in of as much coarse material
as possible. "Farm-yard manure" he
states, straw, sand. old plaster, coal
ashes, sawdust, almost anything
coarse or gritty which will break up
the close adherence of the fine clay
particles. release the surplus water,
and let in the air, 1i!l produce
marked effect in reducing the hateful
baking and cracking, roottearing, and
moisture-losing behavior of the
adobe" For improving light sandy
soil the same author recommends the
use of plenty of well composed and
dccayed manure.
The water supply for the garden
should be taken from the main supply
ditch, or 1t should be derived from an
independent system. The latter may
consist of a small pipe laid from
some nearby spring or creek and con-
nectCd with. tank or reservoir near
the ranch buildings. When water can
not be conveyed by gravity it is often
raised from wells by means OF small
pump operated by an electric motor,
gasoline engine, or windmill. These
small Independent systems should
furnish sufficient water for domestic
purposes, for the Use Of stock, and for
the irrigation Of small fruit and
vegetable garden.
Gardens for home use in irrigated
districts should be laid out in such a
way that the bull. CT the work can be
done by teams and in the easiest
way. 1t is doubtful if the laborious
methods practiced by the Asiatic and
Latin races in cultiyating by hand, III
the use of raised or depressed beds,
and in seasonal rotation OF crops will
ever become popular with American
farmers in irrigated districts. Our
illustration shows the outline of an
irrigated garden which is intended to
provide the farm home with an
abundant supply OF fresh fruits and
vegetables for the table, and freshly
cut alfalfa. for poultry, few pigs,
end for cow part Of the time. at the
least possible amount of manual labor
I'd t:ca1:3. TIE +.'aG11-- certain orc
and three-Quarter acres, being 40
feet long and 40 feet wide. between
wovcnwire fences. The main supply
ditch Of the farm and lane Or pub
lie road extend along one side and
the farm buildings abut it. on another.
A head ditch or dune taps the sup.
ply ditch and extends across the up
per end. i'hc garden is divided into
three parts, the small fruits and other
pe~enr'als being planted at the far
side, the vegetables NEXT, aud a strip
Of alfalfa OF the same size IFS that
occupied by the vegetables next TO
the fence. This provides, when de-
sired, a convenient rotation. At the
CIT Ct It @ y.,'S x s'r.t # S1'; :,
G. clcver may be r'OFed under n he
fa', and We ~etatles planted the fol-
loving spring. The pia. irst plant
cd to vegetables may then be plowed
and prepared for irrigation in the
manner described under he border
method OF irrigation and seeded to al
falfa or clover. There is also scrip
Is feet wide at the uppe" end Of the
garden seeded to alfalfa or clover.
On this the teams turn in cultivating
between the rows. There Is like
strip in forage crops at the foot OF
the garden which serves the same
purpose and also ultiizes the waste
water which is apt TO escape from the
burrows In order to serve this two
old purpose it. is made, IS feet w-Go-