The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-02-28

iali lOr EASTERN hansaS IN July ID: Dol
inches, or 2 40 inches less than the
corn plant must have in order to
make full crop of ears. April has
1856; May 6.03; June 4.53, or and ex-
cess, with that of July, of nearly in,
more than the corn plant needs, there
fore, we should subsoil and store the
excess of rain in the spring months,
for use in summer. The mass of
moisture reaches the earth as rainfall.
1t escapes, in three ways: O By
running off the surface; (2) by leach
ing through the soil; (3) by evapora-
ton. The rapidity with which the
waste goes on, depends upon the
physical condition of the soil, and il
is here that the ability of the farmer
to control moisture finds full scope.
"COrn, like animals, must have food
to eat, water to drink, air to breathe
and sunshine or warmth in order to
live. All four requirements are so
dependently linked that there can
be no life, animal or vegetable, if one
is absent. If water, air and heat are
present in fertile soil, in right pro-
portions, healthy, vigorous growth
of plant life follows. If there is an
excess or deficiency of either one, that
excess or deficiency controls the de-
velopment of the plant" And we
have already shown that the average
rainfall in July is not enough to fully
develop the corn crop, and in ordin-
airy prepared soil, the excess of rain
fall in the spring does not all find it's
way into the soil, but much of it runs
off.
A close study of the cliamatology of
eastern Kansas by me for 25 years,
and compared with that of other
places, shows that we have absolutely
the very best farming location in the
United States. A wise Creator has
given US all ideal soil, an ideal tenn
perature, and abundant rainfall, pro-
viding we make the best use of it. L
have shown that under average con-
ditiOns there is an excess of moisture
in the spring months and a deficiency
in the summer, and knowing this to
be fact, we have no more right to
plant a crop, knowing it will suffer
for moisture that we have allowed to
run off unchecked, to stink and form
disease germs in stagnant ponds;
than we have to put stock in a fenced
pasture that we know will contain no
water in summer. God has given us
abundant rainfall, and it is our duty
to store 1t up and use it when needed, |
and where is there better or cheaper
place, than at the bottom of the plant |
roots? Allen county has an ideal soil |
for subsOiling, about Is inches of |
good alluviaI mold, underlaid with |
hard gumbO, or yellow clay that wilt |
not allow tile water to leach down. |
The advantage OF subsoiling is that |
Is more readily removed from |
the top soil, while il is at the same |
time retained Tor the future use OF the |
crop. 1t is beneficial i'll sandy soil |
because IL prevents the top soil from
becoming too saturated in wet seasons,
W lille at Tie same time saving the |
water for future use in dry seasons.
Our Allen county land as plOwed |
year after year to a depth OF 4 or B
inches becomes impact just below the
shallow mellow surface, by the tread
ing of the horses in the Through, the
down of our heavy rainfall,
and the pressure of the pillow in roll
ing the Through, until it becomes al
most as imprevious as hard pan. We
all know that when the ground is in
this shape, a heavy rain will produce
so much mud that We will sink into
the plOwed ground as deep as we
plowed, and we can not cultivate I'M
Til about one half of this much need
ed moisture later on, is dried out by
the wind and sun. How often do we
wish for the south wind to dry up the
mud. By pulverizing this hard under
soil finer, or making the soil grains
more round and uniform, this soil
may be made to take up so per cent of
it's bulk, of water, This is. in a soil
thoroughly pulverized to only four
inches deep, will make a saturated
SOIL measuring ten inches and con-
5aining six inches of water and four
Of soil.
The best time to subsoil is in the
all, because We have more time and
he soil has a longer opportunity to
catch water and the deep action of
.he frost is very beneficial i'll break
ng up and rearranging the soil par
.icles. Whenever the temperature of
he air is above 80 degrees and below
Is degrees, fresh subsidized land will
absorb invisible vapOr
rom the air, so that the dry under
soil found by us in fall blowing, soon
becomes moist without any rain and
he frost will go as deep as SUBSIDIZED.
1t must be thoroughly understood
right here that this kind of prepared
soil would allow wheat to winter kill,
and the reduced temperature of this
particular soil until away into June
makes it unfit for early crops, such as
Early sweet corn, bean, onions etc.,
hat in the early spring demand a
warm soil, but rather a benefit to DO
atOes, turnips, beets ETC., that need a
,oOl soil. Our Weather Bureau data
shows that eastern Kansas averages
;. As inches of rainfall in October; .95