The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-05

IAN essential condition for the
growth OF plants is water, which in
this connection IL commonly alluded to
as moisture. The plant foods In
| the soil are usually In combination with
ether elements. which are called
salts. the essential elementary con-
/ stitution Of which 10 the mineral neces-
sary to plant life, oxygen ana q base:
Tor example. the phosphates. nttrates,
etc. So long as these soils are In
their crystallized or solid state, they
| can not be used by the plant a. food.
1t Is necessary that they should remain
In solution. and. therefore, the abso-
lutte necessity for the universal sol.
vent. water. The solution Of the salts
| In the soil through the fundamentally
of what may be said to be soil diges-
ton. by which the foods are prepared
for the matabolizm or nutrition OF the
| plant
water is also the means by which
these foods are carried in solution
| through the circulatory channels OF the
plants to the plant cells, and here
moisture 10 also necessary to enable
the cells to incorporate into their pro-
| toclasm the elements brought to them
through the circulation.
Tt Will be observed. therefore. that
| what Is necessary in the soil for the
solution Of plant foods. for the absorp-
ton Of these foods by the roots Of the
plant, for its circulation through the
plant and finally for Transformation In
to the characteristic protoclasm Of the
plant itself. As primary source OF
water. the soil depends upon the rain
fall. hence the necessity Of q knowl-
| edge OF the rainfall In any given lati-
| tude or area The disposition OF the
rainfall depends upon the nature OF
the surface and the texture of the SOIL
| II the surface IL hilly or undulating,
the water flows away. carrying with II.
more or less, OF the soil, and. also. to
a greater or less extent. dissolving the
plant foods and carrying them away In
solution. This accounts, as Q general
proposition. for the greater fertility
OF made lands than the soil which re-
mains from the decomposition OF rock.
Emcacy OF Rain.
The rainfall IL determined by ma
tural laws and conditions over which
art has no control, but the disposition
Of the water, after 1t has fallen, may bo
largely controlled by art; for example,
the surface of the land may be so modi-
Ned as to obstruct the rapid now Of
the water, and thus prevent the wash
ing away Of the soil. and also. to al
low, in part at least. the water to sink
into the soil and thus deposit there
the plant foods which IL has IN solu .
ton. In those soils in which there 10
excessive water. either from excessive
rainfall or from the Topography OF
the surface or the texture Of the soil,
1t may be largely modified and improv-
ed by subsoil drainage. The great
problem, however, in agriculture. Is to
maintain the moisture Of the soil in
times of drought. II there Is no pre-
vention of the flowing away Of the wa
ter after the rain and II the land and
soil favor this waste water. then q
great deal of the rainfall will not be
available for the necessary moisture.
and If the physical texture Of the soil
is such as to permit the water to rap
Idly pass through into the deeper sub
soil, thus going beyond the reach of
the roots Of the plants and carrying
with 1t in solution the plants foods.
the soil Is not only a store house for
moisture, but II Is also washed OF It's
plant foods; hence. the great problem
Is to store this water in the soil ia
such a way as to retain II in reach
of the roots Of the plants. This IL In
a measure accomplished by a proper
cultivation, by artifcally modifying the
porosity of the soil, and by bringing
about those conditions upon which the
retention of moisture and its circula-
tion through the soil--to wit, capillar-
ity--are maintained.
The main points in this art are the
time when the soil should be plowed,
h in relation to the rainfall. the depth. o'
the cultivation and the implement OF
cultivation. The soil moisture may
be exhausted by evaporation from the
surface by percolation through the
deeper subsoil. and by absorption by
the plant and evaporation from Its
foliage. This surface evaporation from
the soil and plant foliage Is determined
by the temperature and the moisture
| of the atmosphere When the tempe
nature lis high and the atmosphere Is
dry, the greater will be the evapora'
ton from the soil and from the foil
age; per contra. the lower the tempe
nature and the moisture the atmos.
phere, the less will be the evapora-
ton from the surface of the soil and
the foliage Of the plant
Therefore, the problem in cultivation
in the presence of high temperature anc
dry atmosphere Is to prevent sur
face evaporation from the soil by q
proper cultivation, and In the presence
of opposite conditions which result ir
a surplus of moisture in the soil and
in the plant, II Is to promote this evap'
Grafton from the surface of the sol
by proper cultivation. In the absence
of adequate rainfall, the necessary at
mosphere must be derived from that
retained in the soil and In addition
to the modification of the evaporation
from the surface by proper cultivation
} art may also supply the means by which
the moisture in the deeper soil may
J be directed towards the service. bI
J changing the physical texture of tn,
J soil through cultivation. thus modify
, ing the capillarity and changing thu
general direction OF the moisture cur
rents.