Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-01-28
DrOuth and Trees.

Horticultural society, at Princeton, Prof
T. j. Burrill, of the Illinois University
read valuable paper on the theory o
drouths, and offered some valuable sug
gestions as to methods of counteractin,
their effects upon orchard trees. 81,
thought the data so far collected on tb,
subject are not sufficient to say with Ger
tainty to what drouths are due, or tina
the changes wrought by human agency
in America have perceptibly modified tht
annual amount of rainfall.
As practical question, the main thine
is to husband the water which actually
falls throughout the year. The agency
of trees and plants in giving back the
water from the soil to the air is most in.
teresting. Experiments show that Leaf
surface of one square foot throws about
IL ounces of water into the atmosphere
during one clear summer day, or l pint
of water for every ID square feet of Leaf
surface. One large forest tree is comput-
ed to have 100000 square feet of leaf sur
face, and thus throws into the air every
sunshiny day 40 barrels of water, or 10
such trees on an acre would give out 400
in one day. But that wonld form layer
of water over the entire acre of only l.2O
of an inch thick, and is much less than
would be evaporated from from the same
area of naked soil. Comparing the effects
from drouth in forests and in the open
bare ground, it is reasonable to conclude
that more water is lost by evaporation in
the latter case than is exhaled by trees,
plus that evaporated from the soil surface
beneath them. But where trees are set
at q considerable distance apart, so that
the ground is but little shaded, there may
be nearly the whole evaporation from the
soil, plus that given off by the trees.
Prof. Burril referred to the expert
ments of MI. Thomas Hunt, of the ILL
nois University, as to the amount of
water in the soil under various conditions
(see page Is, Prairie Farmer Jan. IN
from which it appears that the amount
of water in two feet of every dry soil is
equal to the average rainfall for month,
and to the amount given of by rank veg
citation during four-ffths Of the growing
season. And such soil, when thoroughly
holds in spite of under-drain-
age, half its weight of water, or enough
to make surface layer Is inches deep
three times the amount required by vege-
tation during the summer. Can anything
be done towards lessening this supply?
Mr.. A. G. Hammond, of Warsaw, ILL.,,
took specimens of soil from meadow,
moved month before, and from an or
chard with same soil and altitude, but in
3 fine state of filth, and found the latter
TO contain 2.6 per cent. of water, while
the latter had but 121 per cent. Expert
ments indicate that the water saved dur
ing a week by surface cultivation would
equal II inch of rainfall. Such informa-
lion ought to put more vigor into work.
There can scarcely be doubt that
orchard trees are ordinarily much better
Of when the surface is cropped with Gull
ivated corn than with pastured or
moved grass. Glover stubble, closely
,ut, is no better than grass. A good
mulch is as efficient as cultivation, and is
sometimes more easily managed. A good
mulch about tree may hold more water
available for the tree than would be rep
by the application to the naked
surface of hundreds of gallons monthly.
Mr.. Hunts experiments with tiled and
untitled soil showed q uniform difference
n favor of the tiled soil, and there is no
ust cause for alarm in the use Of tile to
larry off the superhuous soil water OF
Ipringtime and wet seasons, 80 far as the
reeds of plants are concerned.
We are coming to understand that trees
ire summer-6 killed, rather than winter
1illed. The damage is done by both ex-
remes, but it is che condition in which
he trees are at the end of the growing
'eason, much more than the degree OF
old, which determines the results. Want
II sufficient water In mid summer not only
etaras growth. but induces a semi
dormant state, from which the tissues
gwaken later on in the autumn, without
'hance for subsequent npening. and 80
NE ill-prepared for frost. II we would
ave our orchards from the vicissitudes Of
winter, we must begin in springtime,
We need not harder toll, but farther and
'etter insight into the controlling infiu-
noes and conditions by which the