The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-12-20
PARAMOUNT FERTILIZER.
what the Farmer owes to water.

-
eyant's extremely interesting paper be-
fore the State Board of Agriculture this
week. He continued with the idea that
the duty of lecturer or teacher is to
stimulate thought, remembering that to
secure success thought always takes the
precedence. and that any practical con-
clusion depends upon the fullness and
correctness of the thought that precedes.
After the Introduction the paper con-
sidered first, the escape through the
leaves of aqueous vapor that has accum-
ulated in the cellular spaces OF the
plants. This varies in amount with the
relations which find expression in the
term "climate." Many experiments
and investigations in this country and
abroad as to the amount of water given
off by plants have resulted in the con
clusion that foS every ton OF dry sub
stance of the plant, depth OF three
inches of rain would be eyaporated
through the vegetation; in other words,
a corn crop of fifty bushels would have
a total weld Of four to five tons; the
plants containing from 1900 to 2lOO
bounds of dry matter, represent an ex-
halation of at least from 240 to BIO tons
of soil water per acre, or an equivalent
of from two to three inches of rain.
The amount of water contained in corn
crop of fifty bushels would amount to
from $500 to 5000 pounds.
The speaker next considered the ques-
ton of evaporation directly from the
soil, quoting large number OF different
Investigations in different parts OF this
country and abroad, showing that the
loss of water from the soil through
evaporation during the growing months
is over 90 per cent. of the rainfall. Dur
ing the whole year the loss is over 5O per
cent. of the rain fall. Having estab
lIshed these facts by abundance OF evi
dence, the professor noticed the follow
ing propositions, which are verified by
common experience:
1. The variation of crops as between
different years is far greater than occurs
the same year between different fields
differently fertil zed, thus proving the
Importance to farming of the conditions
generally included under the concrete
term season and climate.
O. The variations in crops between
different fields of similar treatment is
manifestly dependent on the SOIL rela-
tions to moisture, as may be readily
verified by careful and intelligent OBJ
servalions and trial.
The conditions of climate Tor sea-
son) which principally effects the crop,
as recognized yearly by farmers are 'he
Greater or less amount of rainfall, as
the farmer CONSTITUTES his observation; or
90 Tho more obseryant man CONSTITUTES it,
the distribution of the rainfall, and the
extent of evaporation. august, on the
average, is the month OF greatest Taiu-
fall, and usually, the greatest droutn;
4. In regions where there ID iess
available water for the growing Slop
mot necessarily small ralniallJ, tneLe
is found to exist the practice OF more
distant planting, and fewer plants 10 tne
hill, than where the conditions OF water
supply are more favorable. ms may
be illustrate ed practically by the OXo lee'
intervals and single plants to tne mn n,
practised in seaboard Sou b, ana the o12
x3l6 feet intervals and four plants TO 'he
hill of New England practice, or eXpeIl,
metaly by the following record OF ira
at the New York Agricultural ExpeTi,
ment Station, 1889 being a dry and 1900
moist season;
Corn. issS pei iss3
Hill 2S2 # It., kernels to hill I6u 2 2 R1
Hills SIb13i6 IT,, kls to hill 1914 ou' 4sls bu
The corollary from this table, which
experience confirms, is that I'D massa
chnsetts. with a rainfall Of 40 inches a
wear. it is as easy 10 grow lOO busneIs Oh
shelled corn per acre as at Geneva, ~ l.,
with its 25 inches Of annual ralhlaIl IL 1t
to grow rs bushels, and this irrespective
of the fertility of the soil
s Weeds are great evaporators Oh
water By trial | have found that
weed crop may be absolutely lncompat'
with a corn crop, the corn crop showing
in its curled leaf, stunted growth anu
yellow color indications OF suffering
from drought, and not bearing any mer,
charitable ears. In the experience OF
farmers such evidence become graded
and can serve as less intensified Illus
tration than the one quoted 8.
The summary Of this practical data II
that crops, under circumstances OF III
telligent farming, are more
DEPENDENT UPON THE WATER sUPPL1
for their maximum increase than upor
any other single agency. Rot only II
water a component of plants, but II Il
conveyor for plants, bringing to then
matter in solution which goes towards
building up structure, and 1t acts as
conveyor within the plant, so that w
NAV say that it is the life IN the sens'
that we saw the blood is the life. Tha
deserts are usually such, not from lacE
of elements of plant food, but through
aridlty, All arabic soil contains the Ter
tility requisite for multitudes OF crops
and that under artificial conditions un
der which water relations can be con
trolled, crops can be raised indefinitely
as in China, Japan, India, Palestine, etc
Where irrigation is practised the average
crop seems to have held its own Tor nun
dreds, even perhaps thousands OF year
of continuous culture. ~.
The speaker then went on to say ina
as a general rule the water content o
the soil increases as we go downward
the under soil furnishing grand reser'
volr of moisture available for the return
of water to the surface through th
action of cap,llarIty. Capillarity a
measured by soil in tubs has been traced
vertically "A inches. In natural soil oil
bluffs along a shore the effect of capll
larity in raising water has been noticed
a dozen feet or more, Capillarity bring
an immense body of water to the sur
face to be removed as aqueous vapor b!
evaporation, and during some month
the amount of evaporation exceeds tn
rainfall for the month. Evaporation !
practically a surface phenomena, AM
NAV be checked in great degree by an.
device that will prevent capillary waite
from reaching the surface. Experl
ments at Geneva, N. Y, with cod land
bare soil and soil frt quently stirred
showed that frequent stirring of the sur
face, retarding the flow OF capillar.
moisture to the surface, had very mucl
to do in conserving the moisture OF tn
soil In August, 1887. with rainfall 0
1903 inches, the saving in favor OF cult
waited area amounted TO the equivalen
of 9775 gallons of water in 1856, tn
conserving effect of cultivation wa
show to be Ill ,637 gallons per acre, In
rain fall being 1855 inches; in 1885, Gu.
tivating the surface saved 564o gallon
per acre, The practical conclusion
that frequent stirring Of the upper layer
of the soil breaks the connection Will
the evaporating surface and conserve
moisture to a very large extent. Wbel
the soil, as is the case when water stag
mates in the earth, becomes hard o
puddled, the water moves very rapid
towards the surface aud disappears a
AQUEOUS vapor. This explains in par
VINO undetermined clay coil suffers fron
wetness in spring and drought in sum
mer, and also explains in part the az
parent paradox that drained soil ofte
contains more water in drought tina
does soil that is undrained.
In blowing, the drained soil does nc
rest in close contact with the under so
until consolidation is effected by rair
etc. and the disturbed section gives {
it's own moisture to the atmosphere, an