The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-07-14
AGRICULTURAL
The Greatest Water PurveyOr,

More water is sold by farmers than
any other substance, and it brings a
higher price in proportion to cost than
any other material known. Water is
sold in so many forms, however, that
its value varies daily. A crop of green
clover contains 1000 pounds of water
per ton, and when a 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 we'll
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 fod-
der contained 575 pounds of water, and
ever salt hay, which is usually appar-
emily as dry es If passed through a
kiln, contains over 100 pounds OF water
per ton. The farmer sells this water,
and the more water he can sell the
larger his profit, as all heterogeneous and
mineral matter taken from the soil by
the plants is a direct loss unless the
price at which the crop is sold is suffi-
GENTLY large to reimburse the farmer
for his loss of plant food, as well as af-
ford him a profit.
The greatest profit from the use of
water as an ingredient of farm products
is when the farmer grows such crops as
beets, carrots, potatoes and turnips,
as they can be utilized on the farm in
stead of ~entailing cost of transporta-
ton to market. While these crops on
tain q large amount of solid matter in
proportion to the yield per acre, their
chief value is in the water, as the water
is a valuable aid to digestion and con-
tains the nutritious matter in solution
to a large extent; hence the water is
not q 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 consideration
which must not be overlooked. The
water in plants cannot be supplied
artificially. Every one knows that
there is a difference between green
apples and apples that 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 can
not regain the condition in which the
water existed in the plant before drying
or evaporating it. 1t is more valuable
than that which is supplied.
Beets and carrots contain 1900
pounds of water per ton. A crop of
twenty tons of beets per acre denotes
that the farmer has taken from that
acre, as a crop, SO, 900 pounds of water,
and such a yield of beets is not a large
one compared with results frequently
obtained. Turnips, one of the staple
crops on the farm, contain but little
less water than beets or carrots, and
potatoes are sold at good prices some
years, although there is about 1900
pounds of water in every ton. The
proportion of water in fruits is much
greater, especially with grapes, straw
berries, and cherries; in fact, water in
fruits brings a higher price than is OBJ
tanned for any material, as a box of
strawberries selling at ten cents would
allow less than a cent for the solid mat
ter contained, leaving nine cents for
the water. To secure this crop of
water, however, the farmer will be
compelled to use care and judgment.
1t mt from the clouds, it is true,
but there are periods when the plants
cannot store it; hence the fruit and
vegetables do not grow to perfection
and the farmer will lose a portion of
his crop of water, while his land will
have already given up more than the
proportionate supply of mineral matter.
The moisture must be conserved as a
marketable substance. 1t must not be
stolen away by weeds or allowed to
flow away because the surface soil is
hard, baked and impervious. Loosen
the soil, allow it greater opportunities to
absorb the valuable water, then close
the pores of the soil with the c%ultivator
and thus seal and retain for use a sup
ply of water when periods of drought
occur.-Philadelphia Record.