Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-06-04

downward and not soak sideways far
enough, and even others where the
soaking is provokingly uneven, On
one place | had, corn would get
plenty OF water two feet from the
furrow. In n few hills farther on It
would wilt at the same distance, and
in some places the ground would be
dry six inches from the furrow. The
ground was rich and easily worked
when wet and merely seemed to have
tight spots through it. This ground
raised fine fruit with any form of ir-
rigation, but was nuisance for gar
dening because for that you don't
want streams running two or three
days. Half day should be enough
with shorter burrows and sometimes
larger streams. And If corn, pota-
toes and similar stuff will not flour
ish under three hours run of
streams of about nine gallons min
ute-one-fiftieth of a second-foot-
the land will probably be better for
something else unless you have plen-
ty of water to waste Even then It
doesn't follow that it should be all
used because you have It. If cold,
it may be very bad for garden stuff
generally needs water oftener than
orchards and chilling the ground too
often may cause more or less loss of
profit.
The main difficulty with water
dropping downward in some soils
instead of soaking sideways is in too
even texture, like shot of one size.
In very gravelly and sandy soil it
will soak to the sides perfectly If
there is enough fine sand and fine
clay or dust mixed with it. This Is
the case with most all upland soils.
In winter It will often be visible at
the surface, but in hot weather es-
pecially with a strong sun in dry
air it will rarely show at the surface,
even at daylight.
On my ranch / can wet to the CEN
ter with burrows five feet apart, so
that it will raise good stand of
grain provided it once sprouts
Whenever the sun is very low in mid
winter and the nights cold the mols-
ture will show at the surface all the
way between the burrows. This may
dry an inch or two during the day
If the sun is bright, as It usually is,
but If II is cloudy 1t will remain
moist all day.
You should test these questions,
but not be discouraged If you fail to
wet the whole surface, or II You can
not raise the moisture nearer the
surface than one foot between the
] furrows three feet apart. 1t may
prove that the soil is better adapted
for trees or vines than vegetables,
or that the furrows should be closer
together, or that Il is better for
some trees than for others. With
alfalfa It makes no difference and
the same probably with any deep
rooted plant. But where the soil Is
too open, and increasing the size of
the stream has no effect in spreading
water to the sides, then flooding is
the only way left.
When you return to look at your
little streams you may find some
broken out into the next ones, or
several have made big puddle from
a slight swell OF land running cross
ways and quite invisible to the eye.
If the streams carry any rubbish II
will be apt to collect wherever they
reach the ground even half an inch
higher than their beds. The forma'
tion OF a little dam Is then quite GER
tain, followed by the breaking out
Of the stream from the bactwater OF
the formation of a pond by severa
streams uniting To avoid this
even greater care should be used II
grading than in flooding, for now
you have no leyees to force the watel
on certain lines. The grading Il
generally cheaper, for there is llttl,
carrying to be- done Instead o
scraping off top soil too much yol
must make more faces, each will
It's own dlstHbutlng system Mos
oil the grading can be done with
drag, provided It Is very long, stiff
and heavy with good scraping edges
. One edge may do, but the drag mus
} be long and stiff or II is WORTHLESS
3 for taking down the low swels tha
! interfere with the even flow Of tn
p streams. Cutting these deeper wit
r the plow, hoe or turnover will ne
d always remedy the trouble. Bein
: deeper they will collect more rul
d bish or leaves when there Is an
q wind; and as these furrows al
broken nm after every irrigation, u