Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-07-11
0 AMI MOISTURE.
Whence Do Crops Draw Their supply
Of Water7

We have from time to time called
the attention of our readers to the
fact that ordinarily we do not have
sufficient rainfall even in the humid
sections, during the crop growing sea-
son, to produce a full crop. Some ex-
periments conducted by the Ontario
Agricultural college throw consider
able light on the question as to what
proportion of moisture crops draw
from the rain that falls throughout
the crop growing season or what from
the store of water below. In fact, 1t
is a vital point on which hangs the
whole question of cultivation
The station last year took a number
of four-gallon crooks and set them
outside. where they would receive all
the rain that fell during the growing
season. They then .sowed them to
wheat, peas, barley, and oats, and
watered them whenever it seemed
to be necessary. The N that con-
tanned wheat used 1880 inches of wa
ter. of which but 1851 inches fell dur
ing the growing season. The peas
used 27.3S inches, of which 1880
inches fell during the season of their
growth. The barley used 1882 inches
and the oats 21.15 inches, while dur
ing the season of their growth but 7.91
inches Of rain fell. In other words,
wheat required 2.15 times as much
rain as fell during its growing sea
son, peas 2.19 times, barley 2.25 times
and oats 2.57 times.
These crooks were at first set on
the roof; then one-fourth of them
were set on the ground, and another
one-fourth in the ground. The result
was that there was no difference be-
tween the amount used by those set
on the ground and those set in 1t; but
these required less water than those
that were set on the exposed roof.
During this season there a at no
time a rainfall of as much as two
inches.
1t was discovered that the plants
began to wilt while the soil contained
by actual test rs per cent. of water;
that a rain of 1.25 inches would satu-
rate the soil As inches, but as part
Of this was carried down, it would
moisten 1t to a depth of 8 or 10
inches. 1t was found still further,
that a saturated loan contained from
80 to 35 per cent. of water. This was
in 1905. The year 1906 was wet, and
it was discovered that in a wet sea
son the crops used about so per cent.
more rain than actually fell, and
hence drew one-third of their water
from below.
All this shows the Importance, espe-
cially in a dry season, of thorough
and early cultivation of the soil, says
Wallace's Farmer, thus forming a
mulch of loose dirt and saving the wa
ter below for an emergency, which is
quite certain to occur at some period
of even a wet season.
We call the attention of our read
ers to this matter because we have
become more convinced with in
creased years and experience that the
physical condition of the soil and the
methods of putting it in this condition
are of a great deal more Importance
to the average farmer than the ques-
ton of the fertility itself. Mainten-
ance of fertility is Of very great i'm
portance; but no matter how fertile
the soil, unless it car be put in such
physical condition as will permit full
development of the roots of the plant
and conserve moisture for use in a
dry time, a good crop cannot in the
nature of things be expected.