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Show Watering System Is Simple Matter Possibilities of Irrigation Are Favored by Farmers in Drought Sections. Py L. A. Somers, Garden Extension Specialist, Special-ist, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois. WNU Service. Ten years ago the idea of irrigating their gardens would have been scoffed at by Illinois farmers, but the unusually un-usually dry weather of this season has brought home the possibilities of Irrigation Irri-gation in a convincing way. Not all farms, but a very large number o6 them might have irrigated gardens at small expense. During drought seasons a simple, homemade watering system may mean the difference between a productive garden and a total loss. Likewise, having sufficient water at the proper time is particularly important to late-planted late-planted vegetables. In a majority of cases the farmstead farm-stead is built in a slight elevation with the garden laid out on a gentle slope a short distance from the source of water. Generally, too, there Is a pump powered by a windmill or gasoline gaso-line engine that is capable of supplying supply-ing far more water than is needed for household and live stock consumption. All that Is necessary on these farms Is a line of pipe running from the live stock or storage tank to the upper edge of the garden, and a piece of hose that can be moved from row to row as needed. If the storage tank is below the upper level of the garden, the pipe may be attached directly to the pump and the water forced up to the higher level of the garden. By using either a cultivator or hand hoe, rough furrows can then be placed at the upper end of a furrow and the water allowed to make its way slowly to the lower end. As the furrow becomes be-comes soaked, the hose is moved from row to row across the garden. It will be necessary, of course, to keep the windmill or gasoline engine running to maintain the water supply, but In most cases the method Is inexpensive and does not require constant attention. atten-tion. Different farms will, naturally, re-qsire re-qsire different adaptations of any type of watering system, for the problem is more or less an Individual one. However, How-ever, if farmers will look over their own situations, a great many will find It ! entirely possible and practical to irri-I irri-I gate the garden with but little expense and labor. |