The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-12-05
MORE MOISTURE.
Commissioner Arnold Has a Scheme
for Obtaining 1t.

of so much low grade wheat in the
present beautiful crop of 1896, but the
only one of which I have heard and
which seems worthy of consideration,
is the destructive hot winds in the
early part of July. There is no doubt
in the writer's mind that those winds
absorbed so much of the moisture
from the straw of the growing crops
that there was not enough left to
mature the grain without shrinkage.
On new land and corn stalk ground,
the wheat Jared better, because the
capillary attraction was much better
and enabled the somewhat greener
plants to pump enough more water
from the soil to increase the plump
ness of the grain. Right here, seems
to be lesson to us all in wheat rails
ing, and that is, to thoroughly COM
pact the surface soil, and set the
plowed portion firmly on the subsoil.
las is the case on cornstalk ground
and also on new ground when we'll
harrowed,) will give good results for
labor, even in the driest years.
Another lesson is, that no matter
how good the farming may be, GER
taiu amount of moisture is necessary
to the maturing of a good crop. We
had more rain during the present
year than last, consequently better
crop. A question now arises, how can
we get this precipitation of moisture? l
answer, by conforming to natures
laws. We have harnessed and made
useful to man one of natures widest
elements electricity then why not
try to press into general service an
other element, that of water. To do
this we must follow up natures pro-
cesses until we come to light. To
have precipitation, (which word covers
both rain and snowy there must be
moisture in the atmosphere, to have
moisture in the atmosphere there
must be evaporation, to have evapora-
ton there must be moisture on the
earth in the shape of woods, sloughs,
lakes and rivers. mention woods or
timber in'the category of water reser-
voirs, as they have the same effect.
The shelter or shade of the trees gives
opportunity for the SHOWS of winter
and the rains of summer to percolate
the soil to be gradually pumped up
again by the roots of the trees, and af-
ter being used in the growth of the
trees evaporated from their foliage.
Hence there is more general percipita
ton in timbered countries, than on
the prairies, and more snow where
the evergreen trees abound, than in
those places where deciduous forests
abound.
1t is the generally accepted theory
that these southwest winds are caused
by the absorption of all moisture
from the atmosphere as they pass
over the almost rainless regions of the
so-called American desert. It is GER
tain that as these winds pass over
western Kansas and Nebraska on
their way to South Dakota and Mime
sofa that they can absorb but little
moisture, for it is not there, and when
they strike these northern~states they
are not much bettef off, for our small
rivers, lakes and sloughs are dry.
: 1t is lamentable fact that in this
country we now have but little rum
ming or stagnant water for evapora-
ton, and much of this is our own
fault. In the general greed for more
land considerable drainage has been
done which should not have been done,
only for road purposes, and even then
it would be cheaper for the public to
buy the land and go around the
sloughs. Millions of barrels of water
run away to the sea in the spring,
which should be kept on the land for
the purposes Of. evaporation. and the
land which this water would occupy
would pay bigger interest than it
would if in cultivation.
Why not then try and keep this water
where it falls? How: BY keeping all the
precipitation as much as possible where it
falls. In the springtime many millions of
| tons of water run out of our sloughs, lakes
and small rivers, and are wasted as far as we
are concerned, then why not dam the outlets
OF the sloughs and lakes. and the small
streams at frequent intervals, and so have
an abundance of reservoirs of water for
evaporation, Patches of suitable timber
should be planted around the lakes and
along the streams. Small plants suitable for
this business can be had very cheap. The