Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-30
COMBINATION or soil MOISTURE.
Experiments In sub-olilnr a, tho Nebraska
station.

The ordinary methods Of soil prcpar-
alton and cultivation have. during the
past two years. proved inadequate to
bring the soil into a condition capable
Of retaining. through "a prolonged dry
spell the moisture n received by pre-
cipltntion. Experiments have shown
that Hubaoll blowing uOoHcninR the
rubsoil without bringing II TO the sur.
facet especially N done IN the fall. and
a thorough cultivation of the land dur
Ing the growing Hrnron. VIII do much
towards conserving the soil moisture.
thus enabling the crops grown thereon
TO Withstand a drought much better
than those grown on land treated In the
~ linary way.
The good results 81 subHoiling ON the
experiment station farm have been
very marked. No experiment was
planned for testing the effect ~ subaoli
blowing. but on land that had previous
~ been subsidized for atHar bccta ana
this year planted TO corn, the encct ~
subsoillng was 10 strongly marked ns
60 attract the attention ~ all who saw
II. The subsidized and surface piowed
portions of land on which the corn was
growing were In the same field on the
east side Of the farm. 4, II upland soil
with q gradual slope towards the east
In composition u ~ u fnc loan with
| considerable organic natter In the
'
I suhHoli plowrd for sugar hgetr. and this
crop was raised the following year. II
| was not again subsidized, but ploNcd In
| the same manner an was the remainder
Of the field. II IN "A very noteworthy
fact that the position OF this subsidized
land can now b. determined almost 60
row by the superiority ~ the corn
growing on II. The stalks on the land
| not nubnoilsd are small. badly dried up
and have not made any grain. while
those on the subsidized land are " good
size. having fresh. green appearance,
ana viii give fair yield of grain,
This. II must be remembered. h the ef-
feet IN 1895, OF Hubsoii blowing In the
fall ~ 1891,
such results arr encouraging In the
extreme. They show that with very lit
tie extra expense crops can be- raised
| ally supposed. The Hnhroll Flowing
can be done with thrcc horses, and
does not require much more time than
surface nlowinE. Tho Hubroller should
follow In the furtow ~ the surface
pillow. The operation doubles the ex-
penHc % plowing. but. ns has been
shown. Its beneficial effects continue
for several years. Probably, once In
three years would be often enough 10
Hubsoli. but that has not yet been de-
termincd definitely.
In nil caAor In which Hubsolling has
been done IN the fall tina, have been re-
ported 20 this station. the results have
been highly satisfactory, N the eject
has not always been apparent the first
season after Fuhsoliing, II at least
makes Itself felt In the course ~ two
or three years, The reason for this N
that N very little rain falls after the
HubHoiling and before the crop or crops
on the land arc grown. the small
amount of moisture that II received
sinks more readily than otherwise into
the soil ana, though retained there, II
not easily given M 20 the plant roots
until the demands ~ tho soil itself are
satisfied. After the practice has once
water beyond the demand Of the soil
always continues.
Among those who have tried subsoii.
ing IN this State are Messrs. Younger'
a CO., ~ Geneva. who deserve great
credit FOR the enterprise they hnv,
shown In their experiments on this sub
iect and their public spirit In giving
others the advantage ~ their expert
cucc nj considerable expense 10 them
selves. The following IL a description OF
their experience with suhioilinFi
~ field that was Hubs0ilol In the fal
NJ 1891 ana cropped 10 corn the season.
~ ~ and 'a3 was planted 10 oats In th'
spring ~ 90 and produced yield nj
3gh bushels per acre. while on another
portion ~ tho same field which has
been huhiullch IN the TAI or w ant
raised n crop NJ corn the season ot 'O3
the Yield Of oats was Nia bushels pc
! mere. showing difference ~ . bushel
; per acre IN favor Of the land which hn,
raised but one crop since Huhsolling.
! "Now we viii compare the results ol
, land ON the same farm not subsidized
Land SUBSIDIZED plowcd IN the fall q
/. 1893 nnd PLANTED to corn In tho Hprin
of 1893. yielded % bushels per acre
while corn on land not subsidized. bu
. otherwise treated In idenilcnlly III
! same manner. yielded hut % hushel
per acre, Land suhsolled and plnntc
a To potatoes In the spring ~ 1898 ylelde
y l2a bushels per acre, while the potat
crnp ON land nat subsidized was practi
. cnlly n failure. This season fiNan IA
I, Weld ~ potatoes on subsidized land wa
90 hushelH per acre. The potatoes wer
planted on the 18th of May and N
June card we had the last heavy raj
: ~ the season, From June 2ard 10 Aug
ust 10th we had O.i9 inch OF rainfall
less than y inch In "a days. and stl
we raised a fair crop of potatoes. Ry
on subsollei land yielded sou bushel
T per acre; on land not subsolled, q
u bushels oats Hnwn IN land which hni
n raised ono Orop of corn since Hubsoll
u ing yielded iih bushels per acre: %
: land which had raised two crops Of cor
x since snbsoilinH, 3ah bushels per acre
= on land not SUBSIDIZED, II bushels pc
acre"
o This was a carefully conducted an