The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-05-15


has written for the California Guilt
vator valuable article entitled, Re
lation of Irrigation to the Quantity and
Quality of Fruits He shows that the
fact that irrigation increases the guam
tity and appearance of fruits has prac-
tically been conceded. This is so not
able that irrigation is being introduced
more and more into those parts of the
country where the rainfall has beer
considered sufficient There often comes
a critical time in autumn when the
fruit is retarded and lacks both size
and color on account of dry weather.
Y
But while these two points relating
to quantity and appearance have been,
for some time, conceded in favor of irri-
cation, the quality of irrigated fruit as
compared with the non-irrig ted has
been claimed to be inferior. But Wick
son shows that even that point is now
very generally conceded. Questions
were sent out to about 800 growers,
shippers, driers and Gamers who had
used irrigated fruits in their trade and
manufacture The summing up by
Wickson is worthy of careful consider
alton. I give this in part as follows:
"Of course, theoretically the best fruit
comes from the tree which has moisture
continually present during it's growing
Period in the amount required for the
perfect development of it's fruit. Too
little water for such perfect growth
would injure the fruit and too much
water would also injure it, and although
the injuries proceeding from lack and
from excess might be different they
would render the fruit defective. But
there have been prejudces against irri-
gated fruit which have been slow to
disappear even among fruit growers,
who might be presumed to have the
best opportunities for speedily reaching
sound judgment on the matter The
attempt was made to secure the results
of the experience of fruit growers,
some of whom could give comparative
Judgment and others OF whom PERHAPS
had grown only irrigated fruit and
could speak positively from experience
as to it's suitability for various com
mercial purposes. Although the writer
was aware of the general change in the
mind of growers toward the use of
water even in regions of considerable
rainfall he must acknowledge that the
declaration .Of the benefits of irrigation
in developing desirable qualities in fruit
is sharper and wider than expected and
there can be no question as to the
impression and influence which will fol-
low the publication of such testimony"
Il
The readers of The Ranch know that
for years | have contended that the
notion that prevails with many good
and honest people that irrigated fruit
is inferior in quality is erroneous. The
trouble is, too many people let deduc-
ton go before induction. Induction con-
sists in gathering all the facts before
conclusions are drawn. But oftentimes
a conclusion is drawn from an isolated
fact or a few isolated facts, and the
result is error No conclusion is safe
till the facts are known. The neglect
of this wise and sensible precaution is
the most fruitful of all sources of error
in science, religion, politics and every
thing else pertaining to the affairs of
life.
Y
There is an old saying that We can
sometimes have too much of a good
thing" Someone near North Yakima
sold ten acres planted to fruit for 500
600. or at the rate OF $4,000 per acre
This occurrence was narrated to