The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-01-24

VI tIlUlUlUAL
From Pros. g. SA. Thomps on's Address
e Before Tri- State Grain
Growers. 3
One Of the most Important factors
In the successful production of q crop
is moisture. Hardly a season passes
In which our crops are not reduced
!. in yield to a greater or less degree
to bring them to maturity. The soil
may have been put in the best possi-
BILE condition at seeding time, plant
food may have been present in abund-
ance and other conditions may have
been favorable for bountiful har-
vest, vet with a deficient supply Of
moisture a PARTIAL, or complete crop
\ failure is sure to follow. The question
naturally arises, is there any method
OF, methods by which we may till the
| so.t,, in order to control and store
Z soil moisture for the use of crops
during the oft-recurripg periods Of
! Irouth?
A few centuries ago, Jethro Tull, a
good old English farmer stated that
"Tillage Is manure" While somewhat
mistaken in his conclusions, firmly
believe If Jethro Tull were living to-
day he would modify his statement to
read, Tillage conserves moisture and
liberates plant life.
In order to fully understnd why we
use certain tillage methods to con-
serve moisture, 1t is first necessary to
know the condition under which water
exists in the soil. Water may be in
one Of three forms, as free, capillary
and microscopic. Free water is that
which flows under the influence of
gravity and furnishes the source Of
supply for wells and springs. Free
water is not directly used by plants
and it's presence within eighteen
inches or two feet Of the surface is
detrimental to the growth and de-
veloprnent Of most cultivated plants.
It is valuable, however,because it is
the source of supply from which
capillary water is obtained.
Hygroscolic water is that which, is
contained within the soil particles and
is present in such small quantities
that it may be ignored in this dis
cussion.
Capillary water exists in thin films
around the soil particles and 1t is in
this condition that water is available
for plant growth. Before free water
ccan accumulate in the soil 1t is first
necessary that the moisture films be
restored to all soil particles down to
an impervious layer below. Capillary
movement of water may be upward or
downward, depending upon whether
&c 1vio 1a1o OF $Io
face, but since the soil becomes warm
est and consequently driest at the
surface, and plants use moisture from
the upper layer Of soil, the direction
Of capillary movement is most fire.
quently upward toward the surface.
! In times Of drouth, capillary action
may be sufficient to raise the water
through a distance of three to six feet,
. depending directly upon the physical
condition Of the soil. Should the soil
, be coarse or cloddy, then water can
4 not rise to take the place of that
! carried away by evaporation or that
! used up by the growing plant. If,
however, the soil is fine and in good
. condition of filth, then water passes
readily through it. If the capillary
pores near the surface be enlarged by
tillage so as to break capillary con-
nections and stop the water in it's
upward course, then very little water
/ Is lost by evaporation. This loose,
cultivated surface stratum is the soil
mulch which is so essential in con-
serving the moisture in the soil by
preventing evaporation. This brings
US directly to the question of the best
tillage methods for storing and con-
serving moisture.
The first step in conserving moist
ure must be thorough preparation
of the soil so that all the precipita-
ton will sink down readily into It
| and not be carried away by surface
, drainage. Generally deep, we'll Gull
I tfvated, mellow soil is best suited
for rapidly absorbing and retaining
water. This deep preparation Of the
SOIL Is very important, as much of
the precipitation occurring in the
spring and summer months falls in
nara, dashing rains and tits impera-
tive that we provide soil condition
winch allows Of rapid and complete
percolation of the water in the sub
SOIL
First and foremost of all tillage i'm
plements to be used in preparing the.
soil for the retention Of moisture is
the plow. Ass the amount Of moisture
soil is capable Of holding depends
directly upon the fneness of its par
ticles, then the pillow which fines and
pulverizes the soil most thoroughly
Is the one best adapted to fit the soil
to retain moisture. The time and
especially the depth Of blowing will
depend largely upon the Character
of the soil, the topography Of the
country, and the crop to be grown.
For example, spring blowing for early
crops should not be as deep as fall
blowing for the same crops. On stifr
clayey adobe soils. spring blowing
should not be as deep as fall blowing
for that type of soil as new unworked
subsoil is turned up in which the
plant food is not In an available form
for the use Of the plants. It is gem
orally desirable to plow sandy, or
sandy loan soils deep, as the plant
food is easily avainlable In this style
Of soil and deep blowing brings more