The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-24
subsoiItng of value to All Crops.

The Farm and Fireside says: "Subsoil-
ing has always been more or less of bug
bear to American farmers. In fact, there
are many localities in which it would not
be a very easy matter to find a subsoil-
plow, if you wished to see or borrow one
The beet-sugar and suger-beee agitation
has now brought the subject to the front.
The capitalists who are ready to put their
money into expensive sugar factories in
sist on it that the beet-growers subsoil
their land before engaging into beet cul-
ture. 1t is well known. and the experience
Of European beet-sugar makers and beet
growers testihes, that sugar-beets are very
sensitive TO the influence of deficiency in
moisture, and under adverse conditions in
this respect viii fail to develop the per-
centage of saccaharine matter that is alb
solutey necessary for fullest success in
sugar-making. The main root and the
root-hbers must have a chance to reach
well down into a stratum of perpetual
moisture-and this necessity has led 10 the
practice of subsoiling beet-lands. Of
course, where the sugar-beet is thus ben
Gifted other crops will reap some benefit
also, and indeed there are a large proper
ton of our soils which it would pay as
well to subsoil, whether we grow sugar
beets or other crops
mere IS right way and wrong way
OF subsoiling. Several of our experiment
stations have recently investigated the
subject with more or less thoroughness. In
most cases subsoiling when done in the
fall has proved decided benefit, especial
~ on soils resting on hard and packed
subsoi. The fall and winter rains soak
INTO the surface layer six, eight or ten
inches deep, as the case may be, but can
not enter the hard subsoil, so that the eX
cess Of water runs eff the surface into
dltches and streams. Then when this sur
lace moisture has eVaporated during a dry
spell in spring or summer, there is no
Iurther supply to fall back on. and the
crops must soon suffer. Subsoiling deepens
me natural water reservoir, and allows the
wafer otherwise allowed to run Off to
Dc stored up in the subsoil, as a reserve
ready to be drawn on when the rains fail
Us during the growing season. a writer
III one of my exchanges sums up the diff
ference between subsciling in the fall and
ooing 1t in spring, as follows: IF this sub
so4 reservoir be made in the fall. ii will,
IKE porus sponge. soak full of water
nuf-hg the winter and spring rains, and
rom melting SHOWS. But if subsoiling be
Ceayed I'LL spring it cannot be done till
ele spring rains cease and the soil becomes
uIy enough to plow, and then there being
no water to soak down and fill the spaces
presses its way down and absorbs what
L..e moisture there is. Thus ii is that
IAN subsoiling catches and stores water
lor next summers drought while spring
subsolling let's in the air to dry out what
niue moisture there is"
After having secured an increased sup
ply OF moisture by subsoilng, the next
pIoDiem is how to use it most economically
WIN least waste. The waste is not only
D. evaporation from the bare surface, but
d.s' by evaporation from the leaves of
il5ntS out of place" The former is easily
H7H within lowest possible limits by thor
osSh rather shallow cultivation (as has
o.@h been explained; the latter should be
ouui'ly prevented by preventing all weed
S'""1h ana by timely thinning. Where the
tiI'N OF moisture is limited two stalks
.. corn IN a hill may fail to develop good
'-s, when one would have borne a good
ne results obtained in experiments
.'e with soil in galvanized iron pots UNI
M'H-controlled conditions, at the Kan
g. -"perlment station are quite interest
.5, '. No. give the following observations:
W mat layer of finely pulverized soil
-F lnree-fourths of an inch thick had no
Nsp influence on the rate of evapora-
o- - That hay mulch two inches thick
"a evaporation most effectively, but
va, cNaporation proceeds at so rapid
- rom bare soil that a mulch, TO be
~ uSetul must be promptly applied. 90
s. me rate of evaporation from a sandy
vt iess than that from one less sandy,
1a poth are kept constantly wet, but II
f"'l 10 dry, the sandy soil becomes
l.r-. orler CD That neither salt, gypsum,
TO- Hof magnesium chloride exerts any
r. .ial effect in checking evaporation
tI..lI. me soil, the exploration being prac-
pis me same as from untreated soll.'
sr.5.',4 Goes not agree with the generally
d.',f soil moisture; but it is I'M
e.5..iI correct. ! also doubt whether
e..e nave much influence In this direction,
co., where applied (as may be done with
III, tsaes) In such quantities as to change
g..