The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-04-22

ing IN q lateral direction. The nov
ment of water by capillary force il
nicely illustrated by touching the
small tip OF a sponge to a water sur
face. The water rises rapidly into
the sponge and climbs upward to the
topmost part and l~aterally to the mos
remote corner. Furthermore, If water
be very slowly dropped upon the tor
of a pOnge it will Soon find its way
to the owest point, distributing it
self equally in all parts. The move
ment of oil up through the small spac
es between the threads of a lamp wick
also illustrates capillary movement
Thus we see that the capillary move
ment tends to equalize the moisture
content of the soil; a very important
factor in crop production for the rea
son that when the moisture in the up
per layers of the soil, which contains
he plant roots, is exhausted either
by evaporation from the surface of the
soil or passed out through the grow
ing crops, it is continuously replaced
from the water stored in the soil be-
low until that too becomes exhausted.
Capillary water is the chief source of
the supply of moisture to crops. 1t
is by far the most important form of
soil moisture, and therefore, the one
we must study and learn the most
dDOuL IL OTy LdTI1IAS OpSIdLlOnS d4O
to be made successful
Microscopic Water Microscopic
and capillary moisture are similar.
They differ in thickness of the film
which surrounds the soil grain, and
also in their movements. HygroscO-
pic water does not move from one
soil grain to another like capillary
moisture. 1t may be said to be an ex-
ceedingly thin film of moisture which
is so firmly neld to the soil grain that
it cannot be drawn away by the force
of capillarity. This form of moisture
is not important from the standpoint
of crop production for plants cannot
depend upon it for their growth, and
yet it has value. For example, if the
Microscopic moisture is low in a soil
it will require more moisture to start
capillary movement than if there were
a maximum amOun of Microscopic
moisture, and therefore just SO much
more moisture will be required before
he growing crop al be supplied.
TRANSPORTATION of Soil Moisture.
Soil moisture by proper handling
may be moved from one layer of soil
to another. BY ~loosening the lower
layers of the soil the tendency of the
water will be downward during the
rainy season, but should the farmer
desire to bring a portion of that mois-
ture quickly to the surface in order,
for example. to cause the speedy ger
mination of the seed he can do so by
packing the surface soil. The upward
movement nay be checked by again
forming a loose surface.
TRANSPORTATION of soil moisture, how
ever, k place some times without
the assistance of the farmer. For in
stance, if the first foot of surface soil
has become rather dry, this dry sur
face tends to act as an additional
mulch, but let there be a light show
er, only sufficient to slightly moisten
the dry surface foot, there will at
once be set UP a more rapid transfer
of the moisture from the deeper lay
ers of the soil into the recently mois-
tened DOT. Professor F. H. King, in
his book on "The Soil" recites an ex-
pertinent in which the first four feet
of soil under much the same condit-
ions as described above gained from
the lower soil layers by tr~anslocation
45R tons of water per acre.
This statement strongly impresseS
the Importance of the deep storage |
of water so that it may later form a
valuable source of supply at a critical
period in the growth of the crop.
Storing Water in the Soil.
ANNSSA OAlo L p1cf Wv lO1 1IC III |
age of water on the surface OF the |
ground. Such water is held unR a
time when it is needed for crop pro-
Or for other uses. The stor-
age of water in the soil contemp1ates
the same results. The soil
water is to be stored and neld until
time arrives when the stored mois-
can be used by the growing crop.
AS with the surface storage of wa
ter, if soil moisture is to be stored,
there must be a storage reservoir.
Space must be provided for the water
in the soil itself. 1t is evident, there
that in order to provide storage
in the soil h particles of which
he soil is composed must be separat-
ed SO as to leave spaces for the water
between them and the greater the
depth to which this l~oosening is car
ried the greater will be the storage
capacity. 1t matters very little how
the separation of the particles is &C
complished, provided it is done thor
Either a disc pillow OF a com
mon mouldboard pillow is most com
monty used. The subsoil pillow fol
lows the stirring pillow wherever the
soil is to be looSened to a greater
1eptn than is possible with the stir
ing pillow. Deep blowing hen is the
first requisite to the formation of a
c~apacious water reservoir and only
a large reservoir in the soil can
we hope to store an abundance of wa
.er for future use.
Provided with ample storage facil-
Ity the rain which falls upon the sur
face Immediately sinks into the soil
through the openings which have been
provided, and it naturally follows that
is 40 longer any surface run off.
IN dry farming sections the rains are
-orrential in character and therefore
t is especially necessary to have a
1eep soil reservoir which will absorb
his comparatively large amount of
ain falling in a short time.
Conserving Soil Moisture.
Soil moisture is lost either by the
rec water percolatilg downward until
t reaches the ground water table and
into bitches, Or streams, Or by
'eturning by capillary action to the
of the ground where evapor
ation takes place 4 it passes off
nto the atmosphere. Since for our
discussion we are dealing with
conditions where the rainfall is not
arge it is improbable that any consid