The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-09-22
SAVING THE SOIL MOISTURE
Boomer Ground 10 PIowsd, Or 0'sksd,
Quicker Concerning Of Watsr
viii Begin.

Dy W. g, PAecNa, Agricultural nditoN
North baAotA Agricultural College,
In largo 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 tho moisture content Of soil Is
pf great Importance. A rain fall OF
two or three inches would have made
b difference of perhaps 95.OOO,OO
bushels Of wheat this year in North
Dakota. While we could not increase
The rainfall, yet it would not have
been a very difficult matter to have
saved two or three inches Of moisture
b the soil The time to have begun.
however, was last summer. As soon
% the crop was removed the ground
should have been plowed in order to
the crop Is removed and thus take out
considerable moisture and to produce
! mulch In case the land could not
be plowed, then disking would be help
hl a. 1t would kill the weeds and also
oosen up the surface, and thus pre-
vent evaporation. The ground would
have plowed nicely right after harvest
before tho weeds had pumped out the
moisture. When fall came the ground
likely plowed up lumpy on account Of
ibis removal OF moisture and was thus
teft in a 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 dust mulch
which would prevent evaporation OF
moisture, and tho grain crops should
NO have been narrowed until UP four
II dve inches In fact some sre try
Ing narrowing until the grain heads
Mt end with good results, and this 10
lorth while trying on = small scale.
In order to save up moisture foe
psxt years crop The sooner the ground
plowed. or in cass not plowed. then
13sked, the quiaksr tho moisture so~-
hg will begin. should tie ground b
Mt when plowsd It WIN b we'll b fol-
Iow With the harrow and when leaving
: for winter Il Will b will 10 disk It,
this leaves Il rouGhAr % Il Will hold
The snow better and will also work up
better in the spring. and again II tho
land is inclined to drift, It win IN q
measure reduce this.
A very interesting experiment was
carried out by the Washington Agri-
sultural college. A series Of tubes
two inches In diameter and filed with
soil were attached to series Of bot
ties two inches In diameter and hlled
with water in such way that the
water would pass into the soil. One
tube was left with q compactod sur
eaoe, another on half inch mulch. an
n3her an inch mulch and 20 on up to
pur-inoh mulch. It was found that
he tube with the oompacted soil had
ozaporatsd four inches more Of mois
lure than the one with the two and
bne-hah inch mulch, and that the two
Ind one-hah inch mulch was ~ effeo
i've al the four-inch one. Tho half
Inch mulch had saved about three
eourths of an inch Of water. This OK
pertinent ives carried on for ten weeks
Ind was a wonderful denomination Of
the effectiveness Of . soil mulch as q
moisture saver.
In this same connection it is we'll to
keep In mind that organic matter in
oreases the water holding capacity OF
the soil, so that every effort should be
made to get manure on to the land
and also to plow under green matter
It will pay better to work smaller
acreage and work it thoroughly and
thus be practically sure of crop than
70 spread the work over a larger area
and thus take chances on getting q
crop.