Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1918 — Garden Sprinkling Harmful. [ARTICLE]

Garden Sprinkling Harmful.

Watering a plant or a garden space by sprinkling is usually more harmful than helpful, inasmuch as it Induces the growth, up In the moistened area', of fine feeding rootlets that should be leep in the ground, says Woman’s Home Companion. These, reaching In a network near the surface for the moisture, find themselves exposed to the fierce and baking heat of midsummer whenever the moisture dries out, and dry out it will. They are unable ft bear this scorching, being extremely tender ajuJ. dematitling cool earth around them, and the result is either death to the plant or so weakened and miserable a condition that it might as well die. This surface watering by a hose or hand bears no relation, of course, to a thorough saturation as a system of irrigation makes possible. But unless such a system is installed, I would urge every gardener In the country to pin his faith to the cultivator and his own industry therewith, rather than to any method of watering by hand. Certain things may be “watered in” when transplanting; but otherwise, -eschew the hose and watering can.