The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1911-08-18
TO SECURE MOISTURE
Mulch Blanket Formed by Prop
or Use Of Cultivator.
Rough Cultivation impede Run-On,
Prevents Mud Forming and Causes
Rain to Soak In-Efect Of
Summer TiIIlnQ.

Oy e. r. PARSONS. in the Dry Farm
Ing Congress Bulletin.)
Soil and water take up more space
than soil alone, therefore when the
moisture dries out 1t leaves void.
This void is represented by an in
finite number of flne crevices or cracks
which sig-zag in every direction.
After 4 storm. when the sun comes
out, the surface Of the earth under
the magnifying glass begins to wrinkle
as It dries. Next day these wrinkles
begin to develop into well-defined
cracks or assures which go deeper
and deeper every day a. the ground
dries out and contracts from the sur
face down. These crevices allowing
tho free circulation Of air ~ far AZ
they go. cause very rapid evaporation.
AS we go deep into the subsoil away
below these cracks. the evaporation is
very slight.
During the drouth Of 1908 on piece
Of summer fallowed land, the loss o.
moisture at three feet below the sur
face was not more than l per cent. .
month This, OF course. demonstrates
the advantage OF holding your mois-
ture in the right place.
BY using tho cultivator We form q
mulch OF earth in the granular condi-
ton which. being loose. settles as the
moisture goes out of 1t without form
ing cracks. and not only checks and
plugs up the crevices already formed.
but prevents the formation of fresh
ones.
II you ask the question, What con-
stitutes dry farming?" ninety-nine
men out of a hundred will answer:
The conservation of moisture, but II
you happen to strike dry farmer Of
experience who understands his bust
ness, he will tell you that the accumu-
lation OF moisture is the first half Of
dry farming and the conservation OF
moisture the second half Those who
farm on the conservation theory only
will argue that smooth cultivation is
the best because 1t exposes less sur
face to the atmosphere and therefore
causes less evaporation. This theory
Is correct as far as 1t goes, but II we
use smooth cultivation in cloud
burst country we cannot accumulate
half as much moisture as we can with
rough cultivation, which impedes run
of. prevents mud forming and causes
the rain to soak in.
They are beginning to find these
things out at the experiment station.
In late bulletin from the department
Of agriculture we are told that sum
mer tilling Is not much Of a success
except for winter crops. and they find
that spring crops usually do as well
planted In the ordinary way. The fact
is, summer filling conserves moisture
but does not accumulate II. Continual
filling creates too fine mulch; mud
forms and holds the moisture instead
OF allowing 1t to penetrate. II is like
trying to get water into a flour sack
AS far as spring crops are concerned
another factor intervenes. and that is
the natural packing OF the soil. II
summer fallowed land is not planted
until the following sprins. the blowing
| Is lHSu dUOul year Oiu tiiu NAS
ground much too solid for planting.
F. d. Farrell. formerly in charge Of
the Nephi (Utah) experiment station
says that during a heavy rain Of two
inches and fve-tentbs. only five-tenths
was caught In the summer titled lane
and we can well understand it-but
In the summer fallow plowed ter
| inches deep and cultivated rough witt
the large-size corn cultivator blade:
which leave distinct furrow. we car
| catch all this rain as it comes. II vii
penetrate perhaps six or eight inches.
The summer fallow should be cult
waited Just enough to keep the weeds
out, no more. II there is any slope
/ the cultivation should be always
/ across, not up and down with It. Mag
nificent spring crops can be raised OF
the summer fallow, provided it ha'
been treated as above for the &C
| emulation of moisture. but II mus
/ be plOwed again before planting, no
necessarily as deep as the first pillow
! ing, for ground packs too hard IL
/ twelve months to secure the best re
/ suits.
For spring crops we usually find fal
blowing left rough until the frost Il
out OF the ground the best and mos
profitable treatment.
II the disc is used for cultivatini
the summer fallow. the land should b.
disced as deep as possible and thel
cross-disced without any tapping; b,
this means the surface is hollowe'
out I'm squares like a checker boar
and will absorb any quantity OF mois
| tire as II comes