Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-10-06
Moisture In Soils,


THE moisture in cur cultivated soils is
derived either from rain or from the In
sensible aqueous vapor always present in
the atmosphere TO a greater extent In sum.
mer than In winter. 1t has been found by
careful experiment also that This moisture,
at various depths, Is influenced TO great
extent by the kind of manure applied to
the land, and especially by the quail y Of
the soils themselves. Where soils were
dressed with a variety tf different ma
nures in separate plots In the experiments
instituted year or two sg by the Messrs.
Lawes and Gilbert, 1t was found thai the
plot manured with farmyard manurs con-
tanned the greatest amount of moisture.
Inc eed, farmyard maDure was found to
absorb the greatest amount of aqueous
vapor, while the eaIths that are cultivated
absorb and retain q larger amount than
tho,e that are not, and if these esrths are
mixed with organic manures OF decom-
posing su ostances Of any hind and pulver-
lied, they absorb and retain greater
quantity # moisture than they otherwise
would that l., their absorbing power is
considerably increased.
This wellknown property Of the earth
and the power we h We OF increasing the
alb orptive power Of our soils, should De
kept in mind by the enterprising farmer
1t is one of the prime pal reasons why
deep plowing, subsoiling, following etc,
| are so tertilizlng in their effects, and why
| frequent stirring Of the soil 10 beneficial
to plants, even in the driest of seasons.
It is easy to ascertain the absorptive
power Of any soil by exposing given
weight of it, in well dried condition, TO
the atmosphere, for time, then weighing
it again, when its weight will be found 10
be incre ased by the xact amount of moist
ure it has taken up. Clay Is found TO pos
sess this absorptive power to a greater
extent tbaa most other kinds of soil, coal
ashes possessing about half as much under
the same circumstances lime and gypsum
and chalk coming next in their order
Fine silicious sanI possesses scarcely any
absorbing power at eli, when Tree by it's
self, but If any organic manure is mixed
with it, or If it is dressed witha light coat.
ing of clay, or even peat or mu k, its pow
er Of taking up and holding moisture is
greatly increased. Those, therefor, who
maintsin that there is no virtue in an ap-
pication of muck or peat mud to our light
soils, arc clearly wrong. Even ii the muck
has 10 fertiliziOg power in iself, it un-
questionably increases the ability to eb-
sorb and retain moisture either from rains
or the impeTceptible vapor in the atmos-
phere, and this of itself ls If great impor.
lance iu our long and dry seasons
This property Of soils was recognized
by Davy more than halta = century ago for
he says: The soils that are most eff
cient IN supplying the plant with water
by atmospheric absorption, are those in
which there is due mixture Of sand
finely divided clay, and carbonate of lime
fgNrn ~
matter, aud which are so loose and light
as TO be freely permt able to the atmos.
phere. With respect 10 this quality, car.
Donate of line and animal and vegetable
matter arr # great use in soils. They
give absorbent power to the soil without
giving it tenacity. Sand, on the contrary
which also distroys tenacity, gives little
absorbent power. l have always found
this power greatest in the most fertile
soils, so that it affords one method of judg
ing OF the productiveness of land.
It is no less true thai various fertilizer
poss5ss this absorbent power in vari0u
degrees In the experiment by which The
following facts We're sscertsined, the ami
NAL manures were used without any ad
mixture of straw. One thousand parts o
horse dung, dried in 1t mperature of 1902
absorbed by exposure to moist atmOs
phere, at temperature Of 62', in thIe,
hours, l45 parts. Under the same circum
stsnces 1000 parts If COW oung gaineC
J l30 parts, 1000 parts OF pig dung ~
parts; 1000 parts Of sheep dung gainsl
81 parts, and 1000 parts OF pigeons dun
gained 30 parts.
1t is apparent that moisture in the sol
is OF the first importance, silce its pro
d d4ctiveness depends very largely upon il
, Moisture is necessity Of plant growth
} Probably about 800 parts of va er pas
through plant in the form Of zap and ca
/ halatlon from the leaves, for one part {
dry substance fixed, and the extent {
growth of the plant is represented by thi
ole part fixed and added to its organism
/ The extent of moisture required by
I rapidly growing crop OF grass, or an
|, otuer cultivated crop, is something emo
t nous. In every ton of hay we gather
8 is estimated that from 200 to 30J ions
4 water must have been exhaled during til
= period of growtn. An inch OF rain ia
= represents about 10l tons Of water pt
4 acre
Il II is evident that the farmer can, I
i some extent, at least, modify the absorI
8 tive power Of his soils by his mode
d treatment. He can do it by judicioI
II mixture of soils. ii his land is ligu
10 pOIOusi SANDY mixture u CIdy sClS Id
IS manure upon 1t. Such mixture may
J. even better than the addition OF pea. muc
n but the sddi ion of any substance tn
will increase the powers OF absorbing al
Z. retaining IN isture, is beneficial. IL IS e'
II dent, too, that the value OF . mixture
"a not me sured merely by It's intrinsic f1
l tiiZing properties. Ii it improves or /
creasts ne sOsorptiv5 power OF the soil,
n Is useful additi. II to It.
e. The atmosphere is always charged wi
g moisture. Ia T. e driest time, in SUNNI,
ID it is nlled vita moisture, which it receiy
ir in the form Of exha atoms from the ear
II and plauts and otherwise. Any stirru
n OF ihe surface of the earth, therefore,
n, which the air is more ir ely admitted in
* i, Is be eticial, by deposition and aDsor
tiOn oil the insenslble moisture which Il
o. air so admitted contains. OF course Il
d deeper ana more completely the soil
ID stirred and ligh ened up, the more mo
8. ture will it absorb. Thus nature hei
" the farmer who helps himself, and o
u efforts at cultivation are, in some sense
co operation with nature, to obtain resu
)r beneficial to ourselves. - MGSsdoltuse
Q, Fl0ugtmGB