Kansas City daily journal., 1895-11-23
PLOWlNG IN The FALL,
sow IT AFFECTS THE SOFT IN RE
GARD TO MOISTURE.
Windmill Irrigation - Profitable Feeding of
hoss-Silagc for Horse.-Ashes In
the Poultry House-City Potato
tarms--tieneraI Notes,
Protess0r q. 4. raIlzer. ot knnsas asri.

Professor G. H. Faizer, OF Kansas ssri-
cultural eodegcJn Kansas Farmer; In the
past soils have been studied principally
from the chemical standpoint, and the use
OF Fertilizers and other chemical means
have been largely resorted to in efforts to
improve soils or even to maintain them IN
their present degree Of fertility. Ia the near
future the physical or mechanical condition
OF the soil win receive much more etteu-
ton than heretofore. As soil physics is
further studied aud better understood,
there Is no doubt that we shall learn that
the productivencss OF q soil may be IN
fiuenced quite as much by mechanical
means a. by chemical ones In fact, this
is now fully recognlzi, for certain particu-
lar kinds Of soils and situations. Further,
many OF our farm operations effect impor-
tant mechanical changes in the soil. wheth-
.r they are undertaken Tor this special
purpose or not. OF course, a soil cannot
produce IN the absence OF the elements of
plant food ana these elements must be IN
Va condition to be take nup and used by
plants. We shall not, therefore, cease to
study the chemistry OF soils, but shall give
more prominence than heretofore TO phys
les Of soils. The two Will 90 together and
supplement each other. it has been said
that the soil is a laboratory in which
those chemical changes take place by
which plant food IL prepared. The efliclcu-
GE OF me SOL IN TINS respect Is greatly IN
this has been fully realized by students OF
the soil and crops, 1t has not been acted
upon 10 any great extent by those who TIL
the soil
It is more than ever becoming understood
that the relations Of the soils 10 water and
heat are among the prime factors OF their
productiveness 1t. would be beyond the
limits ana scope of this article to 20 into
the subjects OF the relation of crop yields
to RAINFALL and the department OF water
observation ana exnerience ''t tbat The os'g sea9
son, whether wet or dry. cool or warm,
determines whether our crops will be light
or heayy. Ana so any treatment of the
soil that Will counteract the unfdvorable
contatons OF season, even partially, Will
increase the yield. At the opening Of the
growing season, there is usually much
more water in the soil than is required
for the young plants. If dry weather comes
on, the store Of water is redilccd by evan
Iif@tion i,r., from the soil and plants. IT IS
b Tsa iS Bed ia layef S1 G9se b an enr5h 91erns
Water from the ttsr 50 that II "S has oof often
shallow tillage prevents the soil drying out
while deep culture aggravates the loss by
evaporation from the soil.
Experiments are on record showing that
r thin layer OF loose soil viii dry out and
tected. But. the whole matter of soil water
ana the ability of plants to procure water
from from soils under VARYING conditions of
line OF. work III. the deid is 10 study the
loss of water from soils under different
conditions. The chemical department of
our experiment station has been doing work
upon this phase of the subject, as well as
upan others. The work VIII be fully re-
ported in bulletins of the station. we have
been much Interested in the condition of
the soil of the several plats, which well
illustrate the effects of cultivation upon the
loss of water Treated plats alternate with
foot of the soil are taken once in two days.
Just before the experiment was begun
horoughy and run probaby he evePy VPPfT sG s sg"o
tended TO compare only Two kinds of plats;
those left. without cultivation and those
given surface tillage after, each shower.
There We're no heavy rains during the time
70 which reference will be made. None of
soil although carefully leveled off, dries
out quite rapidly after each rain. If left
TO keep the surface pulverized, the loss OF
water Is much less rapid, The. following
M figures may serve TO make this, clearer:
average during the first week twenty and
one-haif pounds of water in 100 pounds of
tenths pounds; at the end OF eight weeks
of not very drying weather, the mean OF
OF water n 100 of soil in the uncultivated
pIats, and seventeen and three-tenths
soil, nor will all the water evaporate frora
a soil. When perfectly alr-dry. soil al
ways, contains few pounds of water to
the hundred varying with the soil II
Is probable that plants growing in the soil
OF these experiments viii wilt in hot wealth
er If the proportion of water falls much be-
low 10 per cent. If this be the limit, the
cultivated plats contain nearly twice as
much available water as the Gncultivated
ones Ihis protection by surface cultiva-
tlon is certainly due to the fact that the
cultivated layer breaks up connection be-
tween the extreme outer surface and the
water-bearing soil below. by breaking up
caplilarlty evaporation is reduced.
When rain falls upon a loose soil less
hows from the surface than from COM
When the soil m IS e Il a. as 'l dnr6 aGRs tR aowB
season. 1t often happens that there is not
enough rainfall during the growing period
TO supply the needs Of the crops but the
supply Of water already in the soil at the
opening or the season supplies the deli
cheney so that good crop is made. In
view or this, II is a good plan to keep
fields in such condition IN the intervals be-
tween cropping that moisture Will enter
dition known as capillary water; that is
so as TO make the soil look moist but not
wet, 70 accomplish this, the soil should
be plowed as soon after REMOVAL OF a crop
the other farm work viii permit, and
the surface should be leveled down by har-
rowing floating or rolling. a subsequent
narrowing to loosen the surface viii be OF
advantage. Wheat and oats ground should
be plowed In summer; and corn ground, IL
corn is cut and put in rilo, or cured az
fodder can be plowed in fall or early win
ter our winter rainfall is usually light
falls ars often dry.
There, are Incidental effects from this
mode of Treatment that, independently OF
practice, BY early plowIng, weeds are pre-
vented from sapping the soil Of moisture
ana pollutlng the ground with their seeds.
The soil is made in the possible con-
dition 10 facilitate the chemical trans
formations by which plant food is prepared
IN the soil
The disintegrating and beneficial effects
of freezing ana thawing in winter are
more marked in soils thus prepared than
If not. II sometimes happens that in order
to get the crop IN early. the ground must
be plowed in the spring, when too wet;
that is the good effects OF frost are coun-
teracted by the pudding due TO stirring
the soil when wet II plowed in fall or
early winter the surface soon dries suit-
ciently for seeding without injury, while
the wetter soil below remains uudisturbed
and its loss OF moisture checked by the
slight surface cultivation In seeding.
HORTICULTURAL.