Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-03-13
A LIBERAL SUPPLY OF WATER
From 275 to 1916 Pounds of Water to
Produce One Pound.

All crops require liberal supply of
water during the growing season. Some
crops require and are able to obtain
more water than others, says Professor
Harry Snyder of the Minnesota ex-
perimental station in the Farm, Stock
and Home. Ordinarily it takes from
275 to 375 pounds of water to produce
one pound of dry matter in grain crop.
Two hundred tons of water per acre are
necessary in order to produce a good
crop of wheat. Experiments conducted
by Hillriegel Knop, Dietrich and King
show that the amount of water per
acre demanded by various crops is as
follows:
Tons.
SioNeI'.''' 49,. ..'..'.. ....'... oUo
fotdtoes 49,. 45o
OoIH -. -. ......... .......... oOO
grapes $50. .'.... '......... ...... 80
CdppdSe -. .............. ......... zoOo
ouHHoWerS 80. ......... ...... ouOo
The amount of water required by
crops is in the aggregate very large,
and in fact far exceeds the rainfall in
any locality, during the growing sea-
son. The results show that even with
a liberal rainfall crops are more de-
pendent upon the water from below
than on the water from above. The
sunflower figures are worthy of con-
sideration, because this plant has been
recommended for hedges to stop the
progress Of the Russian thistle of tum-
BILE weed. If the sunfowers were used
to any great extent the soil would be-
come very dry, because the sunflowers
use up 20 times more water than a
wheat crop, an amount of water which
could not be spared during the grow
ing season.
Inasmuch as crops require such large
amount of water every method of cult
walton which tends to effect the soil
water requires careful consideration.
The preservation Of the soil water by
means of shallow cultivation, mulch
ing and manuring have been frequently
discussed in this paper. There is one
method of conservation of the soil
water which has not. been discussed
as thoroughly as it's merits deserve,
and that is the preservation of the soil
water by fall blowing.
Early fall blowing tends to preserve
the water in the soil for the next years
crop. When land is not plowed in the
fall evaporation takes place uninter-
ruptedly for a long period. The water
is brought to the surface through the
unbroken capillary tubes in the soil,
and then the drying winds aid in it's
evaporation. When the land is plowed
in the early fall the capillary connec-
ton with the surface is broken and
a mulch is formed which prevents evap-
grafton. Then, too, the land is in better
condition to retain the rain and the
melting snow that would otherwise
drain from the surface. In the spring
the fall-plowed land has larger
amount of water to begin with. Ex-
periments have shown that loan soil,
with a clay subsoil, when fall plowed
will contain from five to six quarts
more water for every square foot of sur
face than similar soils that have not
been fall plowed, but have been left
for spring blowing. The fall blowing
resulted in saving from IL to Is tons of
water per acre.
The responsibility of saving the soil
water does not end with the harvest
ing of the crop, but means should be
taken to save the water for the next
years crop. In fact, a water balance
in the soil can be carried over from one
year to the next as well as balance
of fodder, grain or any other material.
Early fall blowing is one of the best
ways for preserving the water of the
soil.
RULES FOR A LEAP YEAR BALL.
Loan wear dance was given by the la