The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-09-06
RETAINING MOISTURE IN SOIL
Ono Of Most Important Reasons Why
Cultivation Should Be Kept Up
During Whole Year.

Moisture in soils is one Of the most
important and at the same time one OF
the most overlooked reasons why soils
should be well cultivated. 1t has been
found If a pail of water Is poured on
the soil on a hot day In a few mo-
ments the ground will be dry where
the water was applied. This is partly
due to the fact that some of the water
soaked into the ground and partly be-
cause that which was absorbed by the
soil in the surface layer has returned
to the air. II mulch of hay or straw
is thrown on the spot to which the
water has been applied the moisture
will remain in the surface layer for
long time. The reason is the air does
not come in contact with the soil, and
the moisture cannot get up to the air
through the mulch, so that none OF
the moisture is lost by evaporation.
If 1t is impossible to apply straw or
hay as a mulch, and a layer of mellow
dirt is thrown over the moist place in
stead of straw, there Is not much
evaporation, because the mellow dirt
serves as a mulch. If the spot where
the water was poured Is spaded up, or
the surface of the soil is pulverized,
the same result is obtained. There Is
a layer OF fine dirt on top, which pre-
vents the moisture in the lower layers
of soil from rising to the surface. This
is exactly what cultivation does. By
pulverizing or mellowing TIE surface
three or four inches 1t establishes a
dirt mulch and prevents the loss of
moisture by evaporation.
II the particles Of earth are packed
80 that there is but little air space be-
tween them 1t is much easier for water
to rise through them by what Is called
capillary attraction than when the
particles of earth are farther apart
If finely packed earth Is thrown on a
wet spot in the field the moisture will
rise into the earth and make 1t wet to
the very top. II quantity Of crushed
rock Is thrown on the wet spot there
are 30 many large openings between
the broken bits that the moisture can.
not rise, and the top layer of rocks
will be dry.
1t was this fact that led Professor
Campbell and others to successfully
practise dry farming in the west,
where the rainfall is light. BY keep
ing the particles of dirt on the surface
far enough apart to prevent the capil
larry rise Of moisture the vast amount
Of moisture lost by evaporation II
saved for the crops. The Campbell
method, while 1t applies primarily tC
the arid and semi-arid portions of the
country, is worthy OF consideration by
the farmers Of the humid sections and
should be practised more than 1t Is.
Among other things, the Campbell
system includes the frequent cultiva
ton Of the surface soil, whether there
are weeds to kill or not At leas
after each rain should the ground b.
! thoroughly stirred. The rain pack
the surface, making evaporation pos
sible AS coon the ground Is dr.!
enough to cultivate, the dirt mulcl
may be established and the evapora
ton hindered In every farming sec
ton, especially in the west, PRACTICAL.
all of the moisture falls on the groun'
during that part Of the year whel
there are no crops growing, Will
during the period Of heaviest growtl
there Is the least amount Of rainfall
The soil receives the most water whel
it needs 1t the least, and the leas
when it needs 1t the most. The great
| &c, hive vyon fiNr w q
the soil receives the least in the forI
Of rain. For this reason cultivation
are continued late into the summe
after the usual time Of laying the cor
by. In the humid sections 1t is tn
practise to lay the corn by when
has been plowed a certain number {
times, no matter how small the cor
may be. Sometimes the plants ar
barely more than knee high, but tn
ground is given it's final blowing an
the corn Is left to make the bef
growth 1t can. Generally about tn
J first Of July there comes a dashin
rain, and the ground Is so packed ths
nearly all of the moisture is lost b
evaporation in the hot days of Jul
and August, when the corn needs moi
, ture most The Campbell system CO.
tinues cultivation even after the cor
Is too tall to pillow with the commc
r cultivator. mulcher, which is sir
, ply fine-toothed harrow, Is drawn
, one horse between each row aft
, each shower or once every ten days
l there is no shower, to mellow up Il
{ surface layer.