The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-07-14
RETAINING MOISTURE IN SOIL
One OF Most Important Reasons Why
Cultivation Should BE Kept Up
During Whole Year.

S'ilH WnOlc year.
Moisture in soils is one Of the most
important and at the same time one OF
the most overlooked reasons why soils
should be well cultivated II has been
T. round If pail of water is poured on
the soil on q hot day In few mo-
ments the ground will be dry where
The water was applied This is partly
due to the fact that some of the water
soaked into the ground and partly be-
cause that which was absorbed by the
SOIL in the surface layer has returned
TO the air If mulch of hay or straw
is thrown on the spot to which the
water has been applied the moisture
| VIII remain in the surface layer for a
long time. The reason is the air does
not come in contact with the soil. and
the moisture cannot get up to the air
through the mulch, so that none OF
the moisture is lost by evaporation
/ II 1t is impossible to apply straw or
nay as mulch. and a layer of mellow
/ dirt is thrown over the moist place in
stead of straw, there is not much
] btCdASt luG IltllpM UNI
serves as mulch If the spot where
the water was poured Is spaded up, or
the surface Of the soil is pulverized,
the same result is obtained. There Is
a layer of fine dirt on top. which pre-
vents the moisture in the lower layers
of soil from rising to the surface. This
is exactly what cultivation does. BY
| plilVprizinU al 10 IN
three or four inches 1t establishes n
dirt mulch and prevents the loss of
moisture by evaporation.
If the particles of earth are packed
so that there is but little air space be-
tween them II is much easier for water
to rise through them by what is called
capillary attraction than when the
particles of earth are farther apart
If finely packed earth is thrown on a
wet spot in the field the moisture will
rise into the earth and make it wet to
the very top If quantity of crushed
rock is thrown on the wet spot there
are so many large openings between
the broken bits that the moisture can
not rise, and the top layer of rocks
will be dry.
II was this fact that led Professor
Campbell and others to successfully
practise dry farming in the west,
where the rainfall is light. BY keep
ing the particles of dirt on the surface
far enough apart to prevent the capil-
larry rise of moisture the vast amount
of moisture lost by evaporation is
saved for the crops. The Campbell
method, while 1t applies primarily to
the arid and semi-arid portions of the
country, is worthy of consideration by
the farmers of the humid sections and
should be practised more than it is.
Among other things, the Campbell
system includes the frequent cultiva-
ton of the surface soil, whether there
are weeds to kill or not. At least
after each rain should the ground be
thoroughly stirred. The rain packs
the surface, making evaporation pos.
sible AS soon the ground is dry
enough to cultivate, the dirt mulch
may be established and the evapora.
ton hindered. In every farming Sec
ton, especially in the west, practically
all of the moisture falls on the ground
during that part of the year when
there are no crops growing, while
during the period of heaviest growth
there is the least amount of rainfall
l The soil receives the most water when
it needs it the least, and the least
when 1t needs It the most The great
t er amount is lost by evaporation when
| the soil receives the least in the form
t of rain For this reason civilizations
J. are continued late into the summer
f after the usual time of laying the corn
l by. In the humid sections it is the
. practise TO lay the corn by when II
! has been plowed certain number Of
times. no matter how small the corr
3 may be. Sometimes the plants are
t barely more than knee high, but the
t ground is given its final blowing and
{ the corn is left to make the best
a growth it can. Generally about the
e first of July there comes a dashine
rain. and the ground is so packed that
J. nearly all of the moisture is lost by
Il evaporation in the hot days of July
|. and August, when the corn needs mois
O ture most. The Campbell system con
tinues cultivation even after the corr
@ is too tall to pillow with the common
r cultivator. A mulcher, which is sim
o ply a fine-toothed harrow, Is drawn b.
n one horse between each row after
q each shower or once every ten days j
4 there is no shower to mellow up tht
[ surface layer.