Show i alad nEDr ITA A A TREATISE ON horticulture i BV BY E M aayers SAYERS horticulturist no 12 PRACTICE OF irrigation it requires some experience to well understand the proper use of water and the proper time of its application to crops in their various stages of growth many person hold long arguments on the tate state the water should be in when applied and contend that many crops are chilled as it were by appi appl applying ing the water when too cold or at the wrong lime time time of the day this argument to any person acquainted with the practice of irrigation needs but little inquiry for the reason that no plants ever require water until they arrive at a state of growth when the natural temperature of the air will be equally natural to the plants CUCUMBERS MELONS ETC and indeed any other plants when forced at an early season require that water should be warmer than out of doors to be congenial to the plants to see a cultivator take water in the spring from a pond covered with ice and apply it to a cucumber under glass glas s growing in in a temperature of 60 degrees w we e would reasonably infer it was waa bad management but as neither cucumbers nor melons will grow in a cold climate until the sun is sufficiently powerful to warm the earth to a certain temperature the temperature of the water will be equal to that of the ground again as no crop should be irrigated until th they ey are more than half grown the time when every plant requires water wafer will be the exact period at which the water will be of the right temperature for the purpose irrigating TOO EARLY the principal error in irrigation is in apply ing water to the crops too earl eari early when this is done the ground becomes elise ellse close and cold when it should be loose and warm as the sun can make it by penetrating it deeply hence too early application application of water often chills the ground an and aT makes it ina lna in a condition not to receive the necessary and enli enil enlivening influences of the sun the consequence is that the plants are stunted in their growth and the roots cannot descend into the earth to a needful depth APPLYING TOO MUCH WATER I 1 another error in in irrigation is in a applying I 1 too much water to saturate the aroun ground nv which le makes it too close and compact and inthis state the roots of vegetables cannot make a free growth nor penetrate so deep as abis is necessary to bring the plants to their perfect bufe size and maturity OTHER EVILS OF or OVER WATERING when vegetables are over watered they imbibe in more than is required for their economy 1 hence plants often become BO so overcharged over charged with water that the pores become close clos edro edeo aa that the superabundant mois mols mare rare cannot be carried off and the water thus taken up by y plants becomes putrid and by a reaction in in the plant is often carried downwards through the roots into the ground where it lies and is again re absorbed when water is again applied to the ground 1 THE POSITIVE INJURY DONE it is im impossible possible that a plant in this state talc tahi can make any growth as it becomes stunted turns yellow and continues in a sickly state during the season THE ONLY onny REMEDY i in this case Is to work the ground well about aboab the roots so as to give iv free access to sun and elfree air to warm aadne and neutralize u gt a ize the earth and carry ox off the sour putrid substances around the roots GENERAL directions FOR irrigating no precise rule can be stated for the time timo ps manner of applying F water to crops of grain r al in or vegetables but in all 1 instance instances i t the e rule ruie should be to keep the ground round as open as possible and the hoe should be often applied a da day or two after watering most plants require but little water in thi tri thle thio early stage of their growth As they increase 11 in i growth the watering should also be increased particularly when such varieties vanette barette va retie rette aa as peas beans wheat and all kinds of grain are in flower or blossom and from thence until the seed or grain lawell is well weli formed and partly in 1 n q matured stafe state when nearly matured the watering 0 may then be suspended fon for the ild ald to ripen IT IS 13 AN IMPORTANT itu ITEM ens rag that all kinds of seed beed and grain should be well watered when maturin maturing 1 when plants ace ase neglected in this state it ig is impossible for tho the seed to ie be perfect it will neither have its full share of nutritious qualities or form fora its germ gent in a strong robust state to produce a new and healthy plant when inserted in the ground grod a another r season ij 11 IN WATERING FRUIT TREES IZ care should always s be taken not to con dinue irrigating too toolate t e in the season seabon particia barly th the e p peach ea ch tree in low wet ground vib when eh th this I 1 I 1 is s done the young wood is kept ina lna in a gra grow av state too long and the consequence nce nee is that it facts 1 Is not matured or well ripened which is t the hj cause of the wood being winter killed vr THE kulz bunz should always be when the fruit of the peach aach louid or any other tree begins to ripen water should be suspended in older order that the wood and young fruit buds maybee matured before the i clai closing in of winter |