The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-02-24
A Visit to a Nearby Khg
dom.
By c. d. Smith, Of the Agricultural csNsse-
CHAPTER VIII.

We are paying much attention tS 6se
amount of water soils can hold and tisc
movements of water in the soil because
the crop takes from the soil more weeer
than all other materials combisso1-
The quantity of mineral matters taken
from the soil by our common oreps In
small, though of vast importance, the
amounts of water. large and sass Of
first importance to the growing oroqs.
For instance a good crop of corn, &fty
bushels per acre would require, per acre.
to growl it from spring to fall, fully
100 tons OF water; potato crop OF 500
bushels per acre would require per
acre, $50 tons of water and an oat cySr
of 20 bushels per acre would requips a
little less than 900 tons of water ,sr
acre. In other words these crops taksS
out of the soil during their growing
season, the amounts stated.
The average rainfall in Central Mich
igan in the sixsmonths, May to October,
is not far from two thousand to1s "a
the acre kbut not infrequently tl1ers
come seasons when the rainfall i,t tho
months of most rapid growth, MGg.
June and July, is altogether too sntdG
to supply the demands of the crops
For instance in the year 1894, in the
months of June, July and August, the
total rainfall in central Michigan was
less than $50 tons to the acre, there
being no rain whatever in August aud
but few showers in July. These
showers added nothing to the, water
available to crops as they tended rather
to cause greater evaporation from the
surface than to moisten the deeper
layers. In many other years there are
intervals of month or even longer
periods when there is absolutely NO
rainfall. In such cases the plants must
draw upon the water stored up in the
soil or cease to grow at all.
In such..cases too the total rainfall Of
the season is much less than is required
by paying crop of any of our ordinary
crops, ehehce the necessity of increasing
the water holding capacity of the sold
in the first place and of holding fol, the
use of the crop the water the soil doee
contain, keeping it from escaping up
ward by evaporation from the surface.
by proper and timely cultivation.
1t must be remembered too that crops
cannot take from the soil all the water
the latter contains. In clay loams
when the amount of water in the soih
falls below seven or eight pounds tn
the cubic foot, our common crops such
as corn or potatoes wilt and stop grow
ing. The reason is evident. The filme
of water about the particles and soil
kernels become so thin that the plant
roots cannot withdraw it in sufficient
quantity to supply their needs
Through such thin films the water eau
not move in large quantity any more
than narrow street can carry heavy
and abundant traffic
On the other hand, if water be too
abundant in the soil it fills up the
channels between the kernels, excludes
the air and the plants die. There is
therefore medium amount of water
desirable for the best growth of plants-
This has been found to be not far from
sixteen to twenty pounds per cubic
foot. If the upper three feet of son
had been dried out until there remained
but eight pounds of water to the cubic
foot it would require rainfall of some
six inches to bring the water content
up to the point where the best good Of
the crops would be secured.
Among the important points to bo
remembered in the study of the rels-
tion of the soil to its water content arc
the following
The size of the soil PARTICLES
The amount of vacant space.
The building up of soil kernels from
single particles.
The way water exists, as films in the
fertile soil.
The amount of surface per cubic foot
and the consequent amount of water i'm
fertile soils.
The relation of the fneness of the
soil particles and the dissolving of plant
food.
The evaporation of water from the
surface of soils and methods of check
ing this loss.
The reasons for early cultivation or
plowing in the spring.
The reasons for narrowing oat feldU
after sowing and when.
The part played by humus in the
continuous water supply of crops.
The conditions necessary to tho
formation of humus.
In the best game of the season, tho
City team defeated the West Side team
lRvH