Interesting to drive down the highway after a full night of rain and see the number of irrigation sprinklers pumping out the water. No meters attached. Over watering? A farmer’s right?

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Above comments by the Publisher did not get any official comment on the blog but raised the ire of Water Councillors – who basically said – Jack – you don’t know what you are talking about. Well I said -“then tell me the truth”. Being 64 I am just starting to go into my learning phase.

Farmers have to irrigate heavily to get the water to the tree roots. Different soil conditions make that necessary. The amount of rain in an overnight storm can amount to 1/8 to 1/4 inch of water that is not sufficient to water the tree roots. Farmers must irrigate on a cycle and when that patch of orchard is up for it – water is applied – rain or shine until the roots are nourished

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Interesting fact – Jack was actually an 11 year old farmer in 1958 in the acre lots when his father bought a 5.8 acre orchard from Jack Close. At that time we had a direct pipe from the main flume that supplied water to spigots that had to be opened each morning and the ditches hoed until the water got to the end of the ditch an 1/8 of a mile down the line. The whole orchard was slanted both north to south and west to east. Gravity had supplied the pressure in the late 20’s 30s, 40s and 50’s.

My father then brought in a pump and aluminium pipe sprinklers and we got into the modern age. Never had a lecture on the timing of irrigation. At that time – you used what you needed to make the fruit grow.

Rule one – don’t think I will be offended if criticized. You learn when you are taken to task. It’s part of the risk/reward of opening any mouth and blurting out something significant or otherwise.