The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-07-24
WATERING PLANTS IN TIMN OF
# g5 DROUTH. :,

SASAAO0A11
From. tie Diary cfa Gsntlsman near N. =.
JUNE 2S.-The only topic discussed
in my reighborhood at present is the
drouth. For nearly six weeks we have
not had rain enough to lay the dust,
and nearly every day the wind has
been blowing as if determined to carry
away what little moisture there might
accidentally fall in the form of dew.
At the same time the weather has been
cold, wind north and northwest, veer.
ing round 70 the south IN the middle
Of the day. The strawberry crop 10 my
neighborhood was almost total failure !;
and now tho raspbsrries are drying up
without showing the least signs Of
ripening. The season 10 at least two
weeks later than last year. for We were
in tho height Of our raspberry crop the
first week in July ; but not berry has
shown color yet, and will not for =
week to come, even should We have
rain. Potatoes, corn and all kinds of
vegetables are likewise suffering On &C.
count of lack of moisture, and early
sorts are in many instances past recov-
cry. I am trying to keep my orua.
mental plants alive by watering them,
although this is an irksome task whefe
one has not made preparations for thor
ough irrigation. I think most persons
make mistake in giving too little
water at time aud applying it fire.
quently instead of thoroughly soaking
the soil at once and then apply no more
for week or more. This sprinkling
the surface does little or no good, for
the water makes the soil bake q little
harder each time, keeping out the air,
forming an excellent conductor for the
heat to penetrate the earth, driving
out what little moisture it may contain.
Water should be applied in sufficient
quantities to ssturate the soil down to
the lowest roots, and if this is done,
there will be no need Of giving frequent
applications. Around trees aud all
coarse plants . mulch Of some kind
should be applied after watering, to
prevent evaporation aud keep the soil
cool As well % moist. Among small
plants the hoe and rake must be kept
in constant use, to keep the soil loose
and prevent 1t becoming baked and
hard. Heat will pass through brick
and drive out every particle Of moisture
in much less time than it will through
the same quantity of loose soil. The
particles of which the brick is made
are pressed together, forming an OK
cellent conductor tor heat, and evspor.
alton proceeds slow or rapid as heat is
transmitted through the mass. A
heavy, clay soil is usually very wet 0,
very dry, because Ct its compactness,
but to talk Of breaking up deeply,
aeratiug and draining soil that gets
as hard and dry as brick in summer
may appear to some persons tho high,
Of folly, but it is the cheapest and
most expeditions way Of making it dry
in wet weather and moist in the time
Of drouth. Hundreds Of ornamental
trees have died add are now dying in
my neighborhood simply for the want
of moisture that has been driven out
of the brick like soil about their roots.
A little water and the breaking up o.
the earth about them would have pre-.
vented their death. Trees that are
worth five or more dollars each could
have been saved by al outlay of from
Eve to ten cents but there is little use
of talking to those who will neither
read or reason.-Ruraz Neso Yorker