Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-08-10

ture are given attention. Now, if all
farmers were perfectly familiar with
the soil on their own farms, why ploW-
ing and cultivation are used, why
drainage is provided, there would he
less spasmodic effort to bring about GER
tain ends when the existing elements
are against them.
The selection of crops to be grown
should not depend entirely upon the
price of that commodity or the distance
of transportation, but greater consid-
Grafton should be given the character
of the soil and the best crops that
| should be grown thereon. The amount
of moisture soil may retain after
rain will largely influence the crop and
some crops are planted early and others
| late. Some will escape dry weather
| and others will be reduced in yield be-
cause of excessive drouth. Some land
is rolling and needs no draining, while
far more farms need drainage than are
given attention.
When rain reaches the ground it
makes it's way down between the parti-
cles of soil and expels the air that fills
the spaces. AS the water goes down
and is carried off by drains or through
a porous subsoil the air follows and
takes the place of the water The rain
| is warmed by it's passage through the
air and thus brings warmth to the soil.
1.-THE rain dissolves the soluble sub
stances of the soil, carries the plant
| food down to the roots and regulates
the mineral matters that may have
tendency to rise to the surface. When
land becomes very dry plant food be-
comes con centrated. Nearly all kinds
of soil contain substances that injurious
to plants, anu when there are copious
rains these substances are diluted and
rendered less harmful, or the rain car
ries them off together. Rain contains
!! other clemens that are helpful to plant
life that are not generally considered
by the average person who looks upon
rain simply as a necessity for the
growth of crops. 1t brings down nj
trates, ammonia and other substances
existing in the atmosphere which be-
! comes food for the plants.
The evaporation of moisture will de-
pend greatly upon the temperature OF
the soil, the temperature of the air and
~ Sc no nix n
by crop. The requirements OF the
crop depend on the stages OF its growth.
When the production of vegetable It's
sue is proceeding with the greatest
vigor the demand for water is the
greatest. This period of luxuriant
growth is more or less determined by
the quantity of water supplied. There
are times when too much or too little
water falls and no farmer can control
the conditions.
Professor Kinch, of England, who
made fourteen years experiments IN
this direction, in a paper before the
Chemical Society of London, find that
when plants arrive at the stage of seed
production the presence of much water
in the soil is injurious and may inf1u-
encc the quantity and quality of the
seed produced. At this stage, when
the plant tissues are undergoing per-
iod of transformation rather than a
production of new matter, a dry season
is desirable in order to insure the best
results in plant development. 1t is not
to be supposed that long and continued
periods of drouth will accomplish the
purpose, however, for that would be an
extreme in the other direction. On all
/ farms there are wet and dry fields, al
though both may receive the same
amount of rain. Where the farmer
/ can partly control the situa tion is by
s, the drainage, for then any excess of
moisture is sure to be carried off, while
il periods the land will gain moisture
from below by capillary attraction, the
air and warmth freely entering and
less evaporation occurring to chill the
surface. Deep blowing and subsoiling
may De safely pracI1ceu where bile
drainage is the rule, and there will be
no danger of plants being thrown out
| by sudden freezing and thawing of the
plants in early spring. Deep blowing
permits the greater retention of mois-
ture by the soil and the use of the Gull
tivator during the growing season, SO
as to keep the soil covered with an
earth mulch, will greatly conduce to
regulating the supply of moisture
| Wisconsin Farmer.