The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-12-22
CRUST UNDER MULCH
Difficult to Prevent Formation
Under Dry Conditions.
Hard Layer Can BE Rendered Partially
Harmless by Right Kind Of PIow-
inp and Soil Treatment Two
Factors.

Farmers In dry land regions have
become familiar with the fact thatNa
crust often forms beneath the soil
mulch. 1t is very difficult to prevent
this formation II the dry period lasts
for 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 It is almost impossible for the
roots to penetrate It. writes II. +. Pat
terson in Farmers Tribune. This
mulch does not form upon land that
Is summer fallowed, but upon the
land that is growing a 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
comes thicker. II there is no crop
upon the land this hard layer can be
easily removed, but 1t "a impossible
TO break up the crust without destroy
ing the crop.
However, this hard layer can be
rendered partially harmless by the
right kind of plowing and soil treat
ment. The formation of this hard pan
depends upon two factors. first, the
drought above and the moisture condi-
tions 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
uty to thoroughly saturate all of the
soil particles. For this reason we Of
tentimes find dry layer CT soil be-
meath the moist strata. BY keeping a
dust mulch on the surface we are able
this moisture. Some people state that
after the moisture has gone down to
q 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
II 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. II has been
advised that good results will be OBJ.
tanned by plowing deeply. not only six
or seven. but eight or nine and ten or
twelve inches. II we were to plow
six or seven inches deep and then
were TO keep a three-inch mulch over
this surface, and then IL 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 profitable crop
1t is sure to dry out before the season
is over. On the other hand, II we
pillow from 10 to IL inches deep We
shall have at least six inches of the
soil 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 1t sometimes re
quires five or six months for the sol
| to dry out to a depth of six or sever
| inches. Therefore, If we have ploweC
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 L
hold larger amounts of water thar
| II they are allowed to remain opeI
and porous. 1t is true that deep pillow
ing is very unpopular with the farm
ers in the west, especially Is this tru'
| of the farmers who have not lived Il
an arid region for any considerably
length of time. Fair results are Otter
obtained by shallow plowing durinl
wet seasons for the reason that
there is sufficient rainfall to soak tn
subsoil the roots of the crop do no
stop at the bottom of the same, but g
down into the moist solid soil under
meath; but even In wet year lik
the past, in the semiarid regions o
the northwest, deep plowing Away
pays. Farmers who have lived in thi
region for a number of years ar
heartily In favor of this method O
soil management. In fact, unles
deep plowing and subsequent sol
tillags is practised 1t will be with dii
fculty that the farmers will succeed