The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-09-10
MOISTURE IN LAND
Retained by Layer of Loose Soil
by Diminishing Evaporation.
This Mulch, If Maintained Throughout
the Season, by Proper Cultivation
Will Prove More Beneficial Than
Straw to Conserve Water,

| Ii the soil reservoir has been wei
prepared and rains have filed it witt
capillary water, tillage should be di
rected to reducing the loss of water
by evaporation to the lowest possible
point The water that passes through
the plants themselves is of be.H.it tc
! the crops; that evaporating directly
| from the soil is wholly lost In spite
of all that can be done there will be
losses from the soil in drying weather
but these may be materially reduced.
A loose soil with large pores has
low capillary power and will absorb
but little water from a moist soil in
contact with it; therefore q layer OF
such soil covering the moist soil reser
voir will conserve the water in the
latter by diminishing direct cvapora.
ton from it. 1t is well established
by the experience of farmers as well
as by direct experiments that layer
of loose dry soil three or four inches
deep is effective in preventing the eX-
cessive drying of soils. If this mulch
be maintained through the season by
proper cultivation, ii ia more benc-
fetal than a straw mulch. In the
course of long dry period 1t has
been found to conserve the moisture
as we'll as the straw mulch, and there
are several disadvantages with the
latter. If put on early, the straw
mulch keeps the surface soil wet in
the spring and early summer. This
makes the soil cold. excludes the air
and causes plants to root near the
surface. When this surface soil dries
Gls, these roots cannot supply water
and the crop suffers. The soil mulch
aLG the cultivation to produce 1t
otSss the plants to root deeply, the
aeration of the soil is improved, and
in all respects the effects of the dust
mulch are good. To be most effective
the surface tillage must be kept up,
The soil must be cultivated after each
rain of a sufficient amount to puddle
the surfacethat is, cause it to run
together and form a crust on drying.
Experience has shown that the
rapid and complete drying of the sur
face which ensues in some portions
of the semi-arid region forms a mulch
which serves to reduce evaporation
from the deeper soil. In some cases
1T has been claimed to be as effective
as that produced by tillage, but it is
less certain and should not be relied
on. Therefore in dry farming in the
west, as well as i'll farming under
humid conditions, tillage to produce
and maintain dust mulch should be
the universal practice. In dry time
it will pay to run small tooth culti-
vator through the corn, although it be
later in the season than corn is usual
ly cultivated and the plants are so
tall that the double cultvator cannot
be used. If the soil has been kept
loose on top of the plants will have
rooted below the dust mulch and the
late culture of the surface will not In
jure them. 1t will aid in retaining
moisture, will facilitate the aeration
of the soil, and increase the activities
Of desirable heterogeneous.
1t is usual to speak of dust
mulch" but the better mulch has q
granular structure and is not com
posed of dust. In open countries the
dust would blow off, to the detriment
Of the soil, and dust surface would
not absorb the rainfall so steadily as
that composed of very small humps of
Snil