The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1912-09-06
70 CONTROL MOISTURE
Packing Brings Supply of Water
From Below.
Stirring the Surface Leaves a Mulch
and Checks Experimentation
May Be Used After the Ordl-
nary Land Roller.

nary Land Roller.
To properly understand the effect
Of any implement on the moisture
content of the soil it is necessary
that We understand the way water
acts. The kind of soil water which is OF
most importance to a farmer Is what
10 sometimes called capillary water.
This capillary water is what is COM
Ing up from lower levels in the soil
all the time to the surface. The &C
ton OF this water Is seen when dry
sand or earth Is put in a small basin
OF water SO that the sell Is away
above the vessel containing 1t. II
there Is enough water in the basin 1t
would saturate the soil to the very
top, much in the same way as a
sponge would absorb the water, or a
lamp wick acts in conveying the oil
from the bowl of the lamp to the end
that Is lighted. The finer the soil
particles are the more water they
VIII retain and hold as film around
these particles. This is moisture
which the plants growing in such a
soil may use. The harder the soil Is
packed the more readily this capil-
larry water comes to the surface. The
looser this soil Is the slower it comes.
This will explain why it is necessary
then to use the packer or heavy roll
er to secure this firmness of soil in or
der to bring the capillary water free
~ to the point of contact with the
roots OF the plants. Supposing the
soil is packed and left smooth on the
surface as the ordinary land roller
leaves it, then the capillary water
would come right to the surface and
the wind would lick it up with the
heat and away 1t would go In the
air. Any system OF cultivation that
will prevent this will cut off the chin
neys. so to speak, from coming right
to the surface so that they discharge
the moisture In the loose soil below
the surface where the plant roots are.
Hence 1t Is that In cultivated hoe
crop, even in the driest time, one can
with the use of his boot uncover the
AiiOiob OO| OllSu WASu WdlhlIS anu
looking back at ones foot prints the
moisture shows at the surface of the
packed soil even when the loose sur
face soil is apparently dry. AS the
ordinary land packer would not leave
the surface as smooth as the round
roller, and it wouldn't have the same
enect In encouraging the evaporation
of the capillary water. 1t shouldn't
be forgotten however, that a harrow
may be used after the ordinary land
roller, and it will break up this waste
of soil moisture by restoring the dust
blanket 1t should not be overlooked
either that in bare following the land
the surface soil becomes very finely
divided into soil particles to some
depth, say eight or nine inches, and
this becomes reservoir for the reten-
ton of capillary water for the crops
which follow. The more and the finer
this soil is worked the more water II
will hold and the surer one is Of a
crop in a dry climate or in a dry sea-
son.
In a test made some years ago by
Prof. F. H. King, the surface of the
soil was cultivated frequently to a
depth of three inches during a period
i'of forty-nine days while an adjacent
strip was untouched. Both pieces
were kept free from weeds or other
vegetation. During the whole time
the average daily loss of water was
| 144S tons DER acre from the culti
waited ground and 17.6 tons on the un
cultivated land This was a difference
Of 1929 tons of water per acre in sew
en- weeks in favor of the cultivated
land. If a man should attempt to hau
| this amount of water on to the LAND
with teams he would have a stupen
Gus undertaking. and yet the actua
| difference in loss of water must have
been even greater than the amount
that could be measured, because the
upper layers of the soil are always
drawing up moisture from depths be
low the lowest samples taken fol
analysis. One team could not make
much Roadway hauling water for 6
forty-acre field of corn during such &
/ period of seven weeks, but 1t could
readily cultivate the field severa
times and thereby conserve altogether
over 5000 tons OF water. The meas
ured saving in water was equal Il
II inches of rainfall.
A Good Pruning Suggestion.