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Show FOLLY OF OVER IRRIGATION Water In Plant Growth Is No More Important Than Proper Supply of Air and Temperature. I Last summer the writer of this irticle was visiting a farm and noted the stunted, yellow appearance of a field of spring' wheat. "I don't know why the wheat should look so sickly, t have irrigated it three times already this spring," said the farmer, and right there was the solution of his problem, says a writer in the Utah Farmer. The delicate wheat plant needs warmth and sunshine and air if it is to thrive, but this thoughtless farmer was just pouring on the cold mountain moun-tain water until the wheat had nearly given up the struggle for existence and succumbed to the ignorance and avarice of the owner. He had an abundance of water and thought that he had better use it while there was plenty. The field was already saturated satur-ated by the frequent and generous storms, and adding more only tended to keep the soil cold and the plants stunted. 'What the' wheat field really did need was a good harrowing to break the crest and facilitate the entrance en-trance of air and sunshine. With , Euch treatment the plants would have Decome neaiiny anu viyuiuus, me oun would have retained its moisture, and there would have been a much better condition all around. Farmers must , learn the lesson sooner or later that ! water in plant growth is no more im-! im-! portant than is air and temperature. If the soil is saturated with water , there is no room for soil air, and as there is such an excess of water that ; there is constant evaporation going on . the soil will be kept cold and growth 1 will be retarded. Irrigate less, cultivate culti-vate more, should be the motto of k every progressive farmer. |