Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-10-21
SAVING THE SOIL MOISTURE
Sooner Ground 10 Piowed, or Disked.
Quicker Conserving Of Water
Will Begin.

(By w. c. PALMER. Agricultural Editor.
North Dakota Agricultural Collegeo
In large portions Of the northwest
moisture is the factor that determines
the crop producing power of the soil
and anything that can be done to con-
troll the moisture content of soil Is
Of great Importance. A rain fall OF
two or three inches would have made
difference Of perhaps 25,0OO,OO0
bushels of wheat this year in North
Dakota. While we could not increase
the rainfall, yet it would not have
been very difficult matter to have
saved two or three inches of moisture
In the soil. The time to have begun,
however, was last summer AS soon
as the crop was removed the ground
should have been plowed in order to
kill the weeds which come on when
the crop is removed and thus take out
considerable moisture and to produce
a mulch. In case the land could not
be plowed, then disking would be help
full as it would kill the weeds and also |
loosen up the surface, and thus pre-
vent evaporation. The ground would
have plowed nicely right after harvest
before the weeds had pumped out the |
moisture. When fall came the ground
likely plowed up lumpy on account OF
this removal of moisture and was thus
left in poor condition to take up the
moisture that fell as rain and snow.
Then In the spring it should have been
narrowed early to form a dust mulch
n,h; van0rafiNn nf
moisture, and the grain crops should
also have been narrowed until up four
or five inches. In fact some are try
ing narrowing until the grain heads
out and with good results, and this is
worth while trying on a small scale.
In order to save up moisture Tor
next years crop the sooner the ground
Is plowed, or in case not plowed, then
disked, the quicker the moisture saw
ing will begin. Should the ground be
wet when plowed it will be we'll to fol-
low with the harrow and when leaving
| It for winter it will be we'll to disk 1t,
as this leaves it rougher so it will hold
the snow better and will also work UP
better in the spring. and again If the
land is inclined to drift, it will in
measure reduce this.
A very interesting experiment was
carried out by the Washington Agri'
! cultural college. a series Of tubes
two inches in diameter and filled with
i soil were attached to a series of bot.
ties two inches in diameter and filled
with water in such way that the
water would pass into the soil. One
tube was left with a compacted sur
face, another one-half inch mulch, an
other an inch mulch and so on up to
four-inch mulch. 1t was found that
the tube with the compacted soil had
evaporated four inches more of mois'
ture than the one With the two and
one-half inch mulch, and that the two
and one-half inch mulch was as effec.
tive as the four-inch one. The half.
inch mulch had saved about three
fourths of an inch of water This eX.
pertinent was carried on for ten weeks
and was a wonderful demonstration OF
the effectiveness of a soil mulch as a
moisture saver.
! I'm this same connection it is well to
keep In mind that organic matter III.
creases the water holding capacity OF
the soil. so that every effort should be
made to get manure on to the land,
and also to pillow under green matter
1t will pay better to work a smaller
acreage and work it thoroughly and
thus be practically sure of a crop than
to spread the work over a larger area
and thus take chances on getting q
crop.