Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-27
Preserving Moisture.

,r,;n erowers Will find SuS-
that may prove Of great value
/, taem in the matter or prepalih''
tha .soil for the reception OF SEED nc
is "a form the basis OF their crops lor
~ year In an article published IN the
March number of the Monthis
to-. re the Weather and Crop SerV
i,.a ,rhe central thought of the artl-
rio ia the preservation so far as possipis
of t,e water supply which the GROUND
roc collected turnout the winter
vno,ths The article is as follows:
with the winters leave taxing we a.
,nce become virtually interested IN the
avid warming up of the SOIL, because
~ ,,arsons that are concerned IN CROP
,rofuction know that the CROWN OF
vegetation is, dependent upon air.
moi stura and certain amount OF
warmth. Early in the spring there
i ,ut little apprehension about the
ssyo first mentioned, warmth being the
factor of first consideration.
ri IS scarcely necessary to say thal
=, ra,,ova1 of water from the land by
1ra5nape is one OF the quickest ana
most effective means OF "ariii'is ~
Unless provision has previously peen
made for the removal OF Tree "aeei'
the task of seeding will be an uphlil
ene However, under average conai-
tiors when the soil dries out Win
rea ,sonable rapidity mucn may ps
lone by the farmer to hasten a rise OIL
ten perature in the surface sou.
T., his work on Soils" King says
thar the thorough preparation OF the
seel bed is justified in large measure
nv tho warming effect which Judlclous'
thorough tillage has. The develop
na,, of a. mulch over the ground les
sens the loss of water from the sur
face by evaporation, and II by thls
,na,ns we can save the loss Into the
air of a few pounds Of water per square
FOOT we have avoided the withdrawal
NJ an enormous amount of heat owing
- .ha fact that evaporation is a cooling
nrccess. Thorough tillage, therefore,
moi only saves moisture, but at the
same time 1t permits the seed bed 20
warm up. so that plant foods are freely
liberated. The same warmth that lib
crates food also, hastens termination,
fms getting the plant into condition
"a take advantage Of the food being
prepared
IT is not so important early in the
sprirg that the ground should be
warmed deeply but better only SO faf
as to provide ample available plant
food for the start, and room enough
fo, tha first roots, and this is what
early tillage does; the loose, open soil
conducts neither cold water up to be-
come still colder by evaporation. nor
thu. absorbed sunshine down where 1t
is not needed. In effect this meth
cd converts the whole field into not
bel or cold frame and commences lrria
ga ton by saving water at the start. Ii
doc even more for while 1t develops
eacly a little soluble plant food 1T holds
in allegiance these processes in the
deeper soil, which, by starting too
early would cause a needless loss by
developing nitrates which may be
leached away before the crop has Its
roots ready to use them.
In view of the Importance of free
surface tillage early in the spring as 4
means of warming up the SOIL 1t Is
impossible to urge with too much
zeal the practice of freely discing or
narrowing Just as soon as the soil
VIII work without pudding 100
many are inclined to let their old corn
fields lie until they are inverted With
the plow. which process often means
a matter of a month or six weeks from
the time blowing is started until it is
finished. All This time soil moisture
is being evaporated at a rapid rate
while the soil particles are not being
raised to that temperature that brings
about the most rapid termination aft