The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-12-20
IHPR0FEB SOIL CULTURE.
A New System by Which the Moist
ure is Retained in the Earth.
Crop Failures Can Be All But Done Away
With Under this System.
The System Inaugurates Style OF Guilt
walton that Allows the Soil to At
tract Moisture But Prevents
Excessive Evaporation.

Those who have made a close study
of western agriculture have found ex-
cessiye evaporation to be one of the
main causes of aburnt grain" and the
more disastrous crop failure. In view
of this we'll established fact, new sys,
tenn Of tillage has been experimental
with by Nebraska farmers, and as a
result fewer failures and better crops
are anticipated.
The idea was advanced that it was
not SO much lack of rainfall as ex-
eessive evaporation which at times re-
suited in crop failures, this evapora-
ton was helped on by the great mass
Of undecomposed vegetable matter in
the soil, while lending no assistance in
bringing moisture from below by capil-
larry action.
It was thought that a system Of Gull
tiyation that would pack the subsoil,
putting it in the best condition to at
tract and hold moisture, and tillage
that would, to great degree, retard or
stop evaporation, would solve the ques-
ton Of successful farming in the west.
The theory seemed plausible and a
plot Of gr md was selected upon which
to try the experiment. Ole-half the
plot was SUBSIDIZED, the other deep
plowed. A sub-surfaCe packer was then
used. Before using the packer the
ground was quite loose and person
walking over it would sink in the soil
ankle-deep. After using the packer
one would not sink more than an inch;
in fact q person could practically walk
on top of the plowed ground, The plot
vas planted to beans, which we're shall
low cultivated once a week. 1t was
learned that Immediately after a rain,
when the sun was out, a crust was
formed, and in this crust thousands Of
minute capillaries to each square inch
at once formed and began to bring up
the moisture to the surface, where it at
once eyaporated, just as the oil in a
lamp is drawn I'D by the capillaries in
the wick. The capillary tubes we're at
once destroyed by shallow cultivation
as soon as possible after a rain.
Samples Of soil to the depth of one
inch were sent in Theoretically sealed
tubes to the agricultural department
at Washington daily during the crop
season. At the same time samples pre-
pared in the same way, taken from a
field across the road, cultivated in the
usual manner, were sent in. The re-
port for July shows that the average
per cent of moisture retained during
the month where shallow and frequent
cultivation was employed on the packed
ground, was 10 per cent. The average
per cent Of the other piece. where or
binary cultivation was used, was II
per cent.
In the middle of July holes were dug
in the experiment plot to see how far
the moisture had gone down. Abund-
ant moisture was found at the depth of
four and one-half feet. In the piece of
ground across the way the ground was
dry after going fifteen inches.
No difference could be detected in
the plot Of ground where it was sub
soiled and the ordinary deep packing,
and a phenomenal crop was raised from
the experiment plot, while ground
titled in the ordinary way produced
scarcely anything.
Farming in the western states must
be conducted with the view of con-
Stunning moisture by preventing the
evaporation of the rainfall. The ex-
pertinent of the Nebraska farmers
prove that this can be done, and the
sooner the revolution in the farming
methods of the west is inaugursted the
better for all concerned.