The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1909-02-27
TWO YEARS MOISTURE FOR CROP
H. T. Novel; formerly director

IL IL ANNNNAA ANA hiNii NhNNNSA
of the experiment farm depart
ment of the Agricultural college
of Wyoming in his paper on
Conservation of Moisture the
Basis of Dry Farming" says;
1t may be very well for the
scientist to say that twelve inches
of rain fall would be needed,
even if all were actually used by
the plants to produce a certain
number of bushels of wheat, but
if a farmer actually grows that
number of bushels with a less
amount Of rainfall, the expert
ments have a shadow of doubt
cast upon them. In all such cal
culations, however, it must be
remembered that under the sys-
tenn of dry farming here advocat-
ed, two years moisture must be
conserved for one crop,
The conservation of soil mois-
ture by cultivation has been
known in a somewhat vague way
for a great many years, but
every year that so much vegeta-
ton is being done as at the pre-
sent on dry farming methods,
there will be something new
found out about the best ways of
retaining for use Of the plant the
moisture that comes into the
soil.
The rain and snow that falls
on the farm may be lost in three
ways; l. BY the snow blowing
off the surface or rainfall run
ming off 2. BY its seeping be-
low the action of the crop root
and running away as sub-surface
water, and 3, by evaporation
from the surface. 1t is used
only in supplying moisture to the
tissues of the plants and by
Transportation from the leaves.
1t is the object of the dry
farmer to prevent, as far as pos
sible, the three great losses of
water so as to leave more for the
use of the plant. The running
off of water may largely be pre-
vented by having occasional
banks a foot or more, or raised
roads or counter furrows that
will keep the water from going
down the steepest slope. The
seepage may be prevented to a
great extent by deep blowing
and compacting Of these soils
which do not become firmly COM
pacted together by their own
weight. Thus for loose soils,
either the roller or the subsurface
packer is of great value. This
compact earth, some nine or ten
inches deep, when it is properly
prepared, form a sort of reser-
voir that will hold the water
from seeping downward. We
know that earth which has been
stirred and then pressed together
will take up more water and held
it by capilarity than earth in its
natural condition. Most of the
efforts Of the dry farmer, how
ever are directed toward prevent
ing the third and most serious
source of loss, that by evapora-
ton from the surface. The force
of capilarity is hardly understood
even by scientists, but it is well
known that water will be raised
and carried some distance through
fine tubes or interstices between
the soil grains and that when a
crust forms on cultivated land
this action takes place very rap
idly; that water is brought to the
surface about as fast as it will
evaporate from the surface, un-
til there is practically no mois-
ture left in the ground. Guilt
yation breaks up this crust, dis
integrates the tube-dike inter.
stices, and forms a soil mulch on
the ground which protects the
moist earth below from eVora-
ton. Cultivation does many
other things Of great value, not
only to the dry farmer but toI
any kind Of farmer, but | cannot
go very far into a discussion of
them.