Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1909-08-27
i'm HUMID REGIONS
Proper Conservation Of Soil Mols-
ture Needed for Crops.
IN Corn Culture Cultivation Should
Follow Every Heavy Rain, 20
Break the Crust and Form
a Sell Mulch.

oCt MuiCUs
To mention the application OF the
principles OF dry farming" in the hui
mid regions In season when the
rains were so heavy and frequent for
several weeks In May and June that
rorn cultivation could not go on for
two days In succession would almost
seem q positive offense. But let US
consider the subject a little. says
following rains the ground quickly
bakes, or surface crust Is formed,
particularly on clay soils. Now here
is just where the application OF the
Campbell system of soil culture comes
In with remarkably favorable results.
In corn culture, for example, cultiva-
ton should follow every heavy rain
as soon as the ground Is In proper
condition, TO break the crust and to
form a soil mulch. For II the crust is
not broken and the mulch OF loose
earth formed, the soil moisture Is
quickly evaporated; and II rainless
period OF only ten days follows. the
corn begins TO suffer for water. Then
we complain OF drought, and say the
corn needs rain. What It really needs
10 the conservation OF soil moisture
by proper and timely cultivation.
This point becomes more forcible
when we consider that the average
rainfall in the humid regions during
the corn-growing season does not fur
nish sufficient available water, after
allowing for surface drainage and
evaporation, for the crop to make
full yield. The corn crop depends
largely on water conserved In the soil
from the early rains OF the season.
The coil elements Of plant food are
taken up in dilute solution of water
by the roots. The water rises through
the stems to the leaves, where II is
exhaled. leaving the minerals to be
elaborated into food for the plant
For every pound of dry matter in
plants. from three hundred To over
five hundred pounds OF water must be
lifted from the soil and exhaled
through the leaves. With this In
mind we begin to realize the enor.
nous amount OF water used by plants.
The amount required by different
plants varies considerably. but take
corn for example. II Is estimated
that the amount of water required by
single acre OF corn OF average pro
duction is fully $50 tons. The reason
OF first Importance. therefore. OF cult.
walton Is to check the evaporation OF
water from the soil in dry weather
and save Il for the use of the growing
plants.
There is no Fixed best number OF
times for the cultivation of corn. I'm
der very favorable conditions OF soil
and moisture three civilizations have
made a maximum yield. Under other
conditions FIVE civilizations were not
enough. Don't ''lay by" the corn with
a crust on the soil Break Il. and
break II again II necessary, even II
the work must be done with q one
horse flne-toothed cultlyator running
only two inches deep.
Land intended for wheat or other
Iallsown crops should be plowed as
soon as possible after harvest. Then
the seed-bed should be prepared. and
the earth mulch be maintained by the
harrow until seeding time The com
paratively few fields that were pre-
pared for wheat last year on this plan
gave magnificent returns. In spite of
the fall drought-the greatest for a
quarter century past in the winter
wheat belt.
Fields planted on late blowing after
the soil moisture had nearly all evap
Grated We're either total or partial fail
ures. The experience In wheat during
the past season furnishes a striking
object lesson on proper soil culture.