Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-24
AGRICULTURAL PAPERS.
& SERIES PREPARED ESPECIALLY FOR
THE "RECoRD-UEI0S."
Presenting instruction Contained In Lect-
ures from the Chair OF Agriculs-
ure, State DIVERSITY
rwExrY FouNrH rArER.

soil In Its relation 70 plant food. Under
this head belong the consideration OF the
water and air OF the soil, the organic mat
tiers in the soil, and the inorganic nutrltIve
matters supplied through the agency OF the
soil and irrespective OF their tirst source.
Water commonly exists IN three conditions
in all coils These three conditions are
distinguished IS hydrostatic, capillary and
hygroscopic water. The distinction be
tween the first two is purely one OF guam
tity. Hydrostauc moisture Is present
when the wa5er is visible, and hence.
abundant enough TO flow while capillary
WAFER is visible only as moisture. 1t Is
the water which 10 drawn up from the
water levei by the capillary action ct the
soil, and ia therefore IN very small partl-
cles. Microscopic moisture Is the vspor
of water which permeates the lnterstlces
of the soil. In good soils this vapor OF
water is always present and is not removed
by the suns heat. Hydrostatic moisture
is present at the surface for short time
after rains, overhows, etc, but soon sinks
away into the subsoil There is at
greater or less depth below all soils
A STRATUM OF MATERIAL
Which prevents the further descent of the
hydrostatic water; and there it remains as
permanent water This is known as the
line OF permanent hydroststic water. The
temporary line of hydrostatic water varies
with the season. In the spring and after
heavy rains it corresponds to the surface
of the soil, but soon sinks, and as the
drought Of the season increases it more and
more spproximates to the permanent
water line Most plants OF economic
value die if their roots are constantly i'm
mersed in the hydrostatic or flowing water
of the soil, and it is therefore not desira-
BILE to have the line of permanent water
nearer than four to eight feet of the sur
face. In fact if the capillary power OF
the soil is good, AID the Microscopic CO.
efficient large enough 10 keep the surface
supplied with vzpor Of water, the perman-
ent water line need not be within even
eight feet of the surface Rice jute and
few other plants, which may become of
agricultural importance in California, re-
ouire access 70 hydrostatic WAGER, and hence
may be grown 10 our tuls and swamp
lands.
CAPILLARY WATER
Is the liquid water when ia held IN the
fine pores of the soil, and watch rises by
capillary action from the same causes that
water rises in 4 capillary tube, The a9-
hesive force between the soil particles and
the water Is so great that flow is pre-
vented and the water can, therefore, never
be removed from the soil by capillary force
alone. Bat If, by any agency whatever the
water is removed frem the soil, a. 1t
reaches the surface its place will be i'm.
mediately taken by more liquid from below.
By this means immense quantities of water
are removed from the soil and pass off into
the atmosphere. The agent that abstracts
the water from the surface OF the soil is
the sun, whose heat causes the liquid
capillary water TO vaporize, when 1t imme.
diStely rises and is absorbed into the at
mosphere. In previous paper we spoke
of the capillary power OF different soils,
and of the relation CT this capillary power
to the amount of heat accumulated in the
soils. We concluded that the finer the
pores of the soil the greater the capillary
power the higher the liquid moisture
would rise In the soil the more tenaciously
1t would be retained, and the less evapora-
tan would ensue. The reverse condition
is followed by reverse results. The differ
ence may be easily conceived by comparing
q well. titled clay soil with a porous and
leschy sandy soil. OF the common soil
Ingredients clay is mechanically the finest,
and when in a thorough state OF filth
which indicates a lack OF adhesiveness and
plasticity-it has very high
CAPILLARY CoEFPICIRNT;
While sand, on the other hand, especially
coarse sand, has low capillary power as
we'll as very small microscopic coefficient
The permanent capillary water of the soil
must rise from the hydrostatic water line,
and if the distance of this line below the
surface be so great that the capillary power
of the soil is too small to cause the water
TO rise to the surface, then the soil will be
air dry" Speaking generally the farmer
has plenty rainfall when the descending
moisture from the surface meets the ascend
ing capillary water of the soil, thus estab.
fishing liquid communication between the
soil and the subsoil. Microscopic, or va
porized water of the soil, is that moisture
which remains after all OF the liqnid water
has been extracted by air dryiDg. It is
calculated by subjecting weighed amount
of the air dried soil to a heat OF 2l2' for
some time and noting the per cent. Of
weight lost. As long as a soil contains the
requisite amount of microscopic moisture
roots will live in the surface soil, and the
plant will thrive as long as sufficient
supply of liquid water is received from the
subsoil by the water roots. As we have
said before, most plants die if their food
roots be immersed in flowing water for any
length of time, therefore in the natural
conditions of plant life these roots must
get what moisture they absorb directly
from the capillary and Microscopic moist
ture of the soil. Almost the entire amount
of water which is absorbed through
THE ROOTS OF PLANTS
T IL. A.
The amount of water thus given off by
large tree is truly astonishing. Some large
specimens of the eucalyptus will absorb all
of the water flowing from an inch hose for
five, eight or ten hours in succession. OF
course this is an extreme case, but it serves
as a good illustration. Schubler states
that one square foot OF pasture grass ex-
hailed 3 pounds of water in "a hours.
Many plants will exhale their own weight
of moisture in like period Of hot and dry
weather. Whiting of plants is caused by
the loss of water by Transportation faster
than it is supplied by imbibation through
the roots. The amount of Transportation ia
influenced principally by the structure and
activity of the leaf, temperature and hu-
Nudity of the atmosphere, the chemical
nature !of the liquids of the soil-many
SdlLb cCCln W 1SEdlu IIGS dDcOIp OI
water by the roots-and, lastly, by
the temperature of the soil. One
would think that exhalation was
absolutely necessary to plant-life, but it
has been decided that the nutritive mat
tiers of the soil would perform their func-
tions Independently of the transpirations
from the leaf surfaces. This is illustrated
by the vigor with which plants grow in
h. =
generally nearly, if not quite, saturated,
and the evaporation, therefore, reduced to
a minimum. From all that is known at
the present time it is probable that as long
as the normal quantity of moisture was
maintained in the plant structure there is
no absolute need of renewing it by trans
piration. 1t has been proved by direct ex.
pertinent that plants can extract enough
moisture from soils which have high
microscopic COT efficient. e., those which
contain relatively LARGE arnount NJ vaoor