The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-09-01
TO KEEP MOISTURE
Sol Shouid &c Narrowed Dawn
Smooth When PioWeo.
stirrin1 cr5g-1 s-rskr Ue cspfiisry
Cir-sLsti5r ara Hr.rs Water
Fr,-- ssrfsc.. gs-srcins
Essrs-sti5r-

Iart yesr re lad ar early eru1fh.
NzrT farmers we're ooiirst 70 pest
pocs plzrrfnT Untfl too lz-s for bes-
reszits TIE corn grnaz lay * ridges
FIST a. the rIo~ Rad Ieft II. with not
q rzrticie % moisture sboTs fhs fur
ro- bottoms Fol1oEfrz ny us1zl p-zc-
tise. ] harToTe1 az fas. sz ! plOTsd-
ard a. least every week thersa.ter.
writes G. A UnoseIIs. r. ColntrT
Gentleman. When got really % plant.
there uzs moisture IN pIe1ty. II vas
rot Until about JEne & that rzir cane
src rasce II possible fo- others % get
their ground r. order. r 1ss late.
bur that was not all. the spring uois-
turs rad been leaving the rouzh-fur-
roEed feds. ard Il is pretty sure 20
b wanted before the sEnzer is over.
TIE openinx Of sprinE usually blfs
the sol saturated with r1oisture-sey-
ersl hundred tc1s 70 every acre In
winter and spring THE rainfall is. ss q
rule. largely IN srcess q evaporation.
while IN summer n is the other way.
The warn vinds and the heat of the
sEn eTaporate water from the surface
% the earth rapidly. Besides eTapora-
tion. vast quantities srs ezhzled. In
the growing season. By vegetation and
trees To replace this waite lost AZ
the surface. more is continually drawn
Up from below. The water level in the
ground becomes lower and capillary
action. which brings the water to the
surface. gets more and more feeble.
A rain may come 20 repleuish the sup
ply. On q drought may come and the
top layers Of the soil be without rnois-
ture and the crops suffer. But some
thing can be done 70 hold In reserve
this spring supply of water. We can
keep IT for our crops. largely. 10 We
Will 60 20 the trouble In the San
joaquin valley. Cal. where II does not
rain in summer. they consider that
they are all right for a grain crop.
provided there is enough rain in win
ter thoroughly 10 wet the ground
The soil should be narrowed down
smooth as fast az IL IL ploved. Evap-
oration IL more rapid IN proportion
ss the surface f. more uneven. II
a rain comes and puddles the surface,
be sure TO harrow Just as soon as
dry enough. A crust should not be al
lowed 20 form. Stirring the soil breaks
up the capillary circulation and keeps
the water from the immediate surface.
hence retarding evaporation. II cul-
tiyated crop is planted on the ground.
- II -
the greater part OF the season. Do not
wait for a rain, but keep the ground
stirred.
The story n told OF an Irish farmer
in this section Of south Jersey WHO
wore out the patience Of his hired help
tors In a corn field during a long
drought They didn't see any good in
f. But he had a fair crop Of corn,
while his neighbors had none. BY
working a dust mulch on the surface,
the spring stores Of water we're made
to feed the crop. whereas in other
cases IL had escaped by evaporation
before the corn had needed H. To
get the best results, the ground should
be left as nearly level as possible;
consequently a weeder or a narrow.
toothed cultivator is best.
Some will say that II rain comes
in time this extra tillage will be work
thrown away, but II is not. The stir
ring of the soil. no matter how long
before planting II may be. how fine the
surface is, or how clean the crop, is
never wasted labor. Tillage has been
called a substitute for manure. II is
undoubtedly true that most soils con-
tain enough plant-food for hundreds OF
good crops, but II is not in available
form. Every time the soil is stirred,
letting In the air and rearranging the
PARTICLES. some chemical action is
started and little plantfood IL set
free. have made experiments TO this
effect, and II has proved to be true, so
ask every reader TO try this plan
and see II II will not be a benefit TO
him this summer.