Evening journal., 1897-09-09
FARMERS SELL WATER.
Whom They Sell Their Farm
Products.
A Scientific Fact Which May he of
Interest TO TiIlers of the Soil
Where the Profit
Comes In.

More water is sold by farmers than
any other substance, and il brings a
higher price in proportion to cost than
any material known. Water is sold in
so many forms, however, that its value
varies greatly. A crop of green clover
contains 1000 pounds of water per ton,
and when ton of dry clover hay is
hauled to market 200 pounds of the
load consists of water. Every hundred
pounds of milk sold contains about 81
pounds of water, and the mixed stable
manure which is spread on the fields is
more than one-half water. No matter
how dry or well cured the hay and
fodder crops may be, from the farmers
point of view, there will be water to
haul that is contained in the plant. a
ton Of cured corn fodder contains SIS
pounds of water, and even salt hay.
which is usually apparently as dry as
il passed through kiln, contains over
100 pounds of water per ton. The farm
er sells this water, and the more water
he can sell the larger his profit, as all
nitrogenous and mineral matter taken
from the soil by the plants is a direct
loss unless the price at which the crop
is sold is sufficiently large to reimburse
the farmer for his loss of plant food as
well as afford him a profit.
The greatest profit from the use of
water as an ingredient of farm products
is when the farmer grows such crops is
beets, carrots, potatoes and turnips, as
they can be utilized on the farm instead
of entailing the cost of transportation
to market While these crops contain
a large amount of solid matter in pro-
portion TO the yield per acre, their chief
value ia in the wster, as the water is
valuable aid to digestion and contains
the nutritious matter in solution to a
large extent; hence the water is not a
useless substance which adds weight
only, but is as desirable in the form in
which it exists in the plant as the solid
portions; but while the solid portions
cost the farmer sometimes, the water
does not, and that is an important con-
sideration which must not be over
looked. The water in plants cannot be
supplied artihcially. Everyone knows
that there is a difference between green
apples and apples which have been
dried and cooked in water. 1t is the
same with vegetables and roots. We
can dry them and render them juicy
again by cooking them in water, but we
cannot regain the condition in which
the water existed in the plant before
drying or evaporating 1t. 1t IS more
valuable than that which is supplied.
Beets and carrots contain 1,sOC
pounds of water per ton. A crop of q
tons of beets per acre denotes that tn,
farmer has taken from that acre as ;
crop $4,000 pounds Of water, and sucl
a yield of beets is not large one com
pared with results frequently obtained
Turnips, one OF the staple crops of tn,
farm, contain but little less water thar
beets OF carrots, and potatoes are sol,
at good prices some years, although
there is about 1900 pounds of water IL
every ton. The proportion of water ii
fruits is much greater. especially will
grapes, strawberries and cherries; il
fact, water in fruit brings a highe
price than is obtained for any material
as q box of Strawberries selling at tel
cents would allow less than q cent TO
the solid matter contained, leaving min
cents for the water. Tosecure this GRO
of water, however, the farmer will b
compelled 10 use care and judgment
1t comes from the clouds, it is true
but there are periods when the plant
cannot store it; hence the fruit an
vegetables do not grow TO perfection
and the farmer will lose a portion of hi
crop Of water, while his land viii hav
given up more than the proportional
supply of mineral matter. The mois
ture must be conserved as a marketabl
substance. 1t must not be stolen ava
by weeds or allowed to flow away b'
cause the surface soil is hard. bake
and impervious. Loosen the soil, allo'
it greater opportunities TO absorb th
valuable water, then close the pores {
the soil with the cultivator and thu
sehl and retain for use a supply of wate
when periods of drought occur.-Phill
delphia Record.
The Babies Eyes,
- 4 =