The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-06

One of the chief events that occurred
at the Interstate Palace Harvest Fes-
tsval. held ia the early part Of last
month at Aberdeen. South Dakota, was
the address Of Professor Thomas Shaw,
OF the Minnesota Agricultural college,
on Soil Moisture and how to Increase
It" Professor Shaw had a large audi
ence deeply interested in this subject
which is so vital TO the entire arid
region. de spoke as follows:
In the recent processes Of agriculture
soil moisture is only second in import
anc to soil fertility, rs is known TO
every practical farmer Without sufii-
cheney Of it in the soil, maximum crops
cannot be produced, however skillful
the farmer may be or however rich the
soil The lack of moisture alone may
make the difference between wilder
ness where man cannot subSisr, and
fruitful paradise, where he may reVel
amid the luxuries of nature. All the
essential elements Of plant food may
be present IL great abundance. and yet
plants cannot grow on the same with
out a sufflciency of moisture to enable
them to appropriate these elements
They will literally starve in the midst
of plentiful supplies Of food.
The question Of soil moisture is one
Of great iInortance to the farmer in
every land. And nowhere, perhaps. is
IT Cf greater significance than in
South Dakota and the kindred states
contiguous to the eastern slopes Of the
Rocky mountains The soil OF this
state is proverblal for its richness, as
Witnessed in the phenomenal growth
OF the crops in seasons of sufficient
rainfall, and yet in some seasons and
some portions of the state in any sea-
son. there is more or less of failure in
crop production because Of an INSULT
cheney of moisture in the soil. Any
means. therefore. which man may de-
wise which WIN bring more moisture to
the soil should not be deemed I'M
worthy of the notice of those who till
the same. The Individual who may
render substantial service in this direc-
tor would well deserve a public monu-
ment in the most public place in all
the state.
The chief Of the sources OF sod mois-
fure arc the clouds, the atmosphere,
the subs0il and subterranean waters.
usually far downward. from which ar
tesian wells draw their supplies. The
supply OF moisture from the air and
the clouds cannot be speedily increased
by any means that man has yet de-
Vised. but il can be influenced to some
ned efforts Of man, if wisely directed.
may materially increase, not only the
aggregate precipitation, but also the
humidity OF the air Every additional
Tree that is grown adds something to
the humidity of the atmosphere. and in
some measure checks the rapid evapor-
alton of moisture from the soil Hence
It is that while a forest country may
be blessed with frequent showers. the
same country denuded may become q
semi-arid desert And every additional
pond or lake that is made on the sur
acfe of the earth from artesian sources,
viii tend to laden the winds with mOis-
lure as they pass over them, and conse-
quently TO reduce their power TO eX-
tract moisture from the soil and from
the plants which grow upon il.
Man can also do something toward
increasing the amount of water in the
supsoil by the character of the surface
drainage which he adopts. In the east,
where moisture at certain seasons is
oftentimes excessive, it is all important
1tlat the surface water should RE
Speedily carried away from the soil
ND ,froi1 the sHbsoil Immediately I'M
derlys1'-. it. Ii may be wiser, in many
instances. at least to encourage the
filtration Of water into the soil, rather
than TO try and convey it away from
the same.
Irrigation.
And very much can be accomplish
ed by means of irrigation, the wiser
used IN the same being drawn directly
from streams or from subterranean
sources. 1t may yet turn out that the
subterlanean waters which underlie
vast areas Of our country VIII be
found q NEST valuable heritage
Through means of those waters large
areas Will be turned into fruitful gar
den spots, which, VIXEN cultivated on
the intensive system, viii astonish the
world by the abundance of their nro-
duction. And this production may be
relied on during any season, whatso-
ever may be its character. But the
increase OF moisture through the var
5ous measures spoken of will OF neces-
Sity be slow. Time must elapse before
the increase of forest will materially
affect precipitation. 1t is also sorrow-
FULLY true that but few men have the
inclination TO do anything for posterity
unless it Will at the same time bring
TO them some present gain. But while
we can do but little to increase the
annual fall Of rain or snow, we can do
much by way OF retaining what we get.
and also in so utilizing it that We will
get from il the greatest possible good
And this any farmer can do more or
less according TO the conditions that
surround him, and the rotation which
he is practicing. 1t is Of this question.
therefore, that | wish more particular
~ to speak. for if soil moisture can be
retained sufficiently long to cause it to
be utilized in promoting plant growth
we accomplish the same end as would
be reached through an increased sup
oily Of moisture.
The means Of retaining soii moisture
are various including subsoil ploWing,
mulching, rolling, surface cultivation
curing the growing period, and increas-
ing in the soil the supply OF humus or,
a. it may be more simply, the supply
Of vegetable matter any farmer in
the land may adopt these measures
with profit, unless it be the first, which
viii not always avail, as viii be subse-
quenIly shown. And so intensely ap-
phcable are they that he may begin to
practice them tomorrow.
subsOiiing.
Subsoil blowing. or subsoiling as 1t
Is sometimes termed, is the stirrang of
the soil 10 q greater or a less depth
which immediately underlieS the area
that is ordinarily cultivated. In SUBJ
soiling the under soil is only broken
up: il is not brought to the surface. Tt
is lily done by running plow of
peculiar make in the furrow which has
been last made by an ordinary plow
when blowing is to be done. But it
would also be correct to say that the
farmer subsoils in a sense when he
piows more deeply that he has piowed
-