The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-11-24
CRUST UNDER MULCH
Difficult to Prevent Formation
Under Dry Conditions.
Hard Layer Can Be Rendered Partially
Harmless by Right Kind Of Plow-
Ing and Soil Treatment Two
Factors.

Factors.
Farmers in dry land regions have
become familiar with the tact that
crust often forms beneath the soil
mulch. 1t is very difficult to prevent
his formation If the dry period lasts
Tor any considerable time. 1t also
causes a great deal OF trouble in that 1t
does not permit of the growth OF
plants. The subsoil becomes so hard
that 1t is almost impossible for the
roots to penetrate it, writes II. F. Pat
terson in Farmers Tribune. This
mulch does not form upon land that
Is summer fallowed, but upon the
land that is growing crop. The top
inch of the soil begins to dry first.
then the second, and the third, and
then the crust begins to form under
heath and each succeeding day 1t be-
comes thicker. If there is no crop
upon the land this hard layer can be
easily removed, but 1t Is impossible
to break up the crust without destroy
ing the crop.
Ahc"NNVis lhl6 layer Cali pt
rendered partially harmless by the
right kind of blowing and soil treat
ment. The formation of this hard pan
depends upon two factors. first, the
drought above and the moisture condi-
tons below. The moisture in the dry
land soils falls upon the surface and
Is carried to the lower soils by grav-
ity. Upon very dry soils this moisture
does not go to any considerable depth
because there Is not a sufficient guam.
tity to thoroughly saturate all of the
soil particles. For this reason we Of
tentimes find dry layer of soil be-
meath the moist strata. BY keeping
to prevent the rapid evaporation of
this moisture. Some people state that
after the moisture has gone down to
a considerable depth 1t is with diff
Guilty that the plants obtain the use
of 1t. However, 1t can be made use of
by the action of capillary and by
proper methods of soil management.
This soil moisture does not rise to
the surface at very rapid rate and
If the best results are to be obtained
we must plant crops that go down
after the moisture or handle the soil
in such a way that the moisture Is
brought to the surface. 1t has been
advised that good results will be OBJ
tanned by blowing deeply, not only six
or seven, but eight or nine and ten or
twelve inches. If we were to pillow
six or seven inches deep and then
were to keep three-inch mulch over
this surface, and then If a two-inch
crust was formed we should have but
little space left in which the roots
could develop. Land handled in this
way cannot produce a profitable crop.
1t is sure to dry out before the season
is over. On the other hand, If we
pillow from 10 to IL inches deep we
shall have at least six inches of the
Boil left for the crop before we come
to the hard layer or the subsurface
soil.
Rolling the soil increases the con
ductivity, but reduces the moisture
holding capacity of the land for water
and promotes the formation of crust
In heavy clay or gumbo soils, How
ever those heavy compact soils dry
out very slowly and it sometimes re-
quires five or six months for the soil
to dry out to a depth of six or seven
inches. Therefore, If we have plowed
our land 10 or IL inches deep the roots
can obtain sufficient moisture from
the lower part of the plowed area.
Sandy soils that have. been made
more compact will also be able to
hold larger amounts of water than
II they are allowed to remain open
and porous. 1t is true that deep plow-
ing is very unpopular with the farm.
ers in the west, especially is this true
of the farmers who have not lived in
length of time. Fair results are often
obtained by shallow blowing during
wet seasons for the reason that if
there is sufficient rainfall to soak the
subsoil the roots of the crop do not
stop at the bottom OF the same but go
down into the moist solid soil under
meath; but even In a wet year like
the past, in the semi-arid regions of
the northwest. deep blowing always
pays. Farmers who have lived in this
region for a number of years are
heartily in favor of this method of
soil management In fact. unless
deep blowing and subsequent soil
tillage is practised 1t will be with diff
ticulty that the farmers will succeed,