The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-10-25
MOISTURE IN SOILS
Important Question az to Depth
of Cultivation Discussed.
Deep Flowing Experiments Have Been
Conducted at Many Points Ia
oemI-ArId Country end Find
Many Strong Advocates.

The depth to cultivate should No
governed by the depth to which the
rainfall vets the SOIL" writes q Ne
braska farmer in the Dry Farming
Congress Bulletin. III we cultivate
deeper than the failing rain pene-
trates, we cannot conserve the mois-
ture, because the clods lying below
the layer wet by showers will dry out
and the grain sprouts and dies for
want of moisture before tho next
shower comes"
The majority Of dry farmers opera
ting in tho semf-arid west will take
Issue with this statement, writes
George Edward Swan, in Gem State
Rural and Live Stock Journal The
experience Of many Of the older dry
farmers as reported In the Official re-
ports Of the Dry Farming congress
and in the agricultural papers. has
been that the depth to which the
rainfall vets the ground depends
largely upon the depth to which the
ground is opened by deep blowing.
Getting moisture into the soil Is
one of tho most important problems
before the dry land farmer. 1t is
purely a physical problem and its
solution is found in the application Of
simple physical laws, according to
the most successful dry farmers. On
the hard-baked. compact soils Of the
high western plains the moisture does
not penetrate beneath the sod except
where the ground has been opened by
blowing. In order to get moisture into
the soil to sustain the growing crops.
men are forced to open the ground SO
that 1t will absorb the rainfall It has
been the experience on these lands,
that the moisture II held in the soil
to . depth proportionate to that to
which the ground is opened by plow-
Ing II the sod 10 not broken. the mois-
ture which falls upon It in tho form of
rain. runs of In tiny rivulets that be-
come creeks in the deep arroyos and
swell the volume OF distant rivers to
flood stage. The falling water will
not take the trouble to break open the
surface OF the ground In order to
penetrate the soil: 1t naturally will
take the easiest course toward it,
level. which always 10 the level Of the
far-off sea
On the other hand. II the farmer
Will break open the surface of the
ground and shatter tho compaetness
OF the soil mass. leaving numberless
tiny interstices to the extreme depth
OF the furrow. the water. naturally
will sink into these interstices and.
following it, tendency to seek Its
level. will penetrate to tho depth to
which the ground is broken.
Soil has = remarkable capacity for
absorbing moisture THE great
Thirst country" ~ applied to a des-
ert, Is not q meaningless figure of
speech and 10 not confined In its ap-
plication to the human Of brute crea-
lures who stray upon its desolate
wastes. 1t applies equally to the soil
OF the desert. which will drink all the
water nature sees At to pour upon It
In the form of rain or snow. and II
the supply holds out. will not stop
short Of swampish dissolution. But
tho soil will not open its parched lips
to receive the invigorating draught.
Man must take hand directing the
forces Of nature. else the water will
fall uselessly and run to waste by the
most direct surface route.
Deep blowing experiments have
been conducted at many points in the
semi-arid west during a number Of
years. Deep blowing has found a
place In the established farm opera
lions Of hundreds Of successful farm
ers. George l.. Farrell Of Utah. Dr.
v. T. Cooke. state director Of dry
farming experiments Of Wyoming: e.
r. Parsons Of Colorado: A. M Axel.