The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-04-07

ETC. I'm SOIL WITH HARD SU
gions). For this reason the following re-
port of the department of agriculture
on the conservation Of moisture in the
soil. as studied at various stations, is of
general interest: Subsoiling is one of
the important means. The Wisconsin
station describes this influence substan-
TALLY as follows:
Subsoiling increases the storage ca
pacity of the soil for moisture and in
creases the rate at which water will
sink into the soil, but decreases the rate
at which it may be brought back to the
surface. Subsoiling also increases the
amount of moisture available to crops,
since plants are capable Of utilizing q
larger proportion of the moisture present
in loose. coarse grained soils than of
that in fine grained and compact soils.
In humid regions, as a recent bulletin
of the California station points out. the
soil as a rule is underlaid at a compare
lively short distance below the surface
by a subsoil. which the roots Of plants
penetrate with difficulty and from
which they can draw little n~ourishment.
The roots. therefore. spread out near
the surface. and the plants require fire.
auent rains or irrigation to sustain life.
A suspension of either rain or irrigation
for ten days or two weeks under these
conditions usually results in injury to
the plant. Under such circumstances
subsoiling encourages deep roofing and
thus enlarges the stock of water as we'll
as plant food at the command of the
plant.
In many parts of the region Of def
cient rainfall. as in southern Califor-
MIA. plants. especially fruit trees, are
capable of withstanding months of
drought. This is claimed to be due to
the fact that ''in the arid region, as a
rule, subsoils in the eastern sense Go
not exist. The soil is readily penetrable
to great Depths" This difference in
the root systems Of plants in humid and
arid regions is illustrated in the accom-
panying figures. A glance at the figures
suffices to show that, while a root sys-
tenn like Fig. l will stand in need of fire.
quent rains or irrigation to sustain it's
vitality. such a one as Fig. 2 may have
prolonged drought with IMMUNITY, be-
ing independent Of surface conditions
and able to perform all its functions
out of reach of stress from lack of mois-
ture. It is equally clear that it is to the
farmers interest to favor to the utmost
this deep penetration of the roots. This
can be done in humid regions, to some
extent at least. by thorough preparation
and tillage of the soil and, in case of
fruit trees, by guarding against excess
i've surface fertilization. In arid re-
gions frequent irrigation, it is claimed,
encourages shallow roofing.
To prevent loss of water from the
soil by evaporation it is necessary to
check the rise Of water by capillarity
to the surface of the soil. This is &C.
complished to some extent by subsoil-
ing, but in order that the work partly
accomplished by the subsoiling may be
completed and continued the surface of
the soil must be kept covered with a
mulch of loose, well titled soil by means
of frequent tillage.
Whether the best results in prevent
ing loss Of moisture from the soil in
humid regions will be obtained by sub
soiling. shallow cultivation or deep cul-