The land is
low and in the driest part of the year the surface water is from 2 to 3
feet beneath the top of the ground.
It is not possible to state a specific quantity of water for any crop,
because the amount depends to such a large extent upon the retentiveness
of the soil, the rate of evaporation and the kind of cultivation. The
best source of information is the behavior of the plant itself, bearing
in mind that tomato plants require constant but not excessive moisture
supply, and that if moisture is applied in excess it will promote an
excessive growth of the plant, which will cause it to drop its blossoms
and therefore be unsatisfactory and unproductive. In such land as you
describe no irrigation whatever would be desirable except in years of
short rainfall, and such land, if properly cultivated, would always
furnish moisture enough by capillary action to support the growth of the
plant.
Less Water and More Heat.
What chemicals should I put into the soil to insure a good crop of
vegetables, such as tomatoes, string beans, or other over-ground
producers? Last year my tomatoes and string beans grew plentifully, but
never produced any tomatoes or beans, yet turnips and parsnips were all
right.
Vegetables which behave like your tomatoes and string beans, making too
much growth and not enough fruit, do not need fertilization. The land is
perhaps too rich already, or you may have used too much water.
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