Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-27
Soils and Farming in Rock Island County

, seed bed is shallow, the feeding area
is restricted in both food and moisture.
Such a seed bed usually has hard pan
which prevents not only penetration of
tender roots, but stops the downward
passage CT water and encourages the
washing away of surface soils and fer
tility during heavy showers. A roomy
seed bed serves as a reservoir 10 catch
and retain water until il percolates into
the deeper subsoil Hence, for many
reasons, the seed bed should be deep,
a condition accomplished by blowing
and filling deep.
| The process of deepening the seed
bed should be gradual, for the reason
that subsoils or soils not rich in hui
mus are not productive, but are made
rich by adding manure with each plow-
ing or turning green crop of some
kind, preferably clover COW pea vines
or soy beans.
ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN.
This gas is as necessary to plant
roots as it is to man or animals. and
/ If 1t does not exist in the soil the plant
will perish. Soil particles have irreg-
ular surfaces, preventing a close con-
tact. This condition is not accidental,
but wise provision for the express
purpose OF permitting the circulation
Of air and the passage Of water and
minute hair-like roots. The spaces
also permit the escape of noxious
gases, the result of plant root excre-
| tons and organic decomposition. II
| from any cause the air spaces become
clogged, the phenomena of life is stop
ped. If the soil becomes surcharged
with water to such an extent that the
seed bed is saturated with water, the
air spaces are filled and the air is
driven out. Tile drainage or bitches
will remedy the condition. If the ex-
cessive amount of water in the sur
face layer OF soil is due to a hard pan.
which prevents it from moving down
ward, deep blowing or a subsoiler will
relieve the condition If the ground is
naturally low and soggy, drain tile is
the surest and best means to adopt,
for the reason that the tile no. only
carries of water, but through them air
Is admitted. Drain tile always i'm
proves the physical condition of the
seed bed and usually the increase of
production IN one or two crops will nav
the cost of the tile.
WATER.
Water is indispensable to growing
crops, and how to control the supply
is certainly serious question with the |
farmer. Too much or too little is die
astrous to the growing crop Proper |
methods, however, will reduce the dan |
ger of damage to minimum. An over
abundance can be taken care of by |
bitches, tile and deep tillage. but in |
sections where the annual rainfall is
abnormally low, the problem of stor-
ing a sufficient amount to provide for
the crop during protracted droughts is
serious question. To make the Cd
Grafton of storing. preventing the waste
and natures process of consuming wa
ter, / will offer the following explana-
ton:
Soil water exists in three forms,
% Hydrostatic or gravitational wa
ter.
C2) Capillary water.
CD Microscopic water.
HYDROSTATIC WATER.
Hydrostatic water is the water that
falls on the surface from rains or by
irrigation. 1t grayitates into the deep
er subsoils through cracks, worm
holes and through air spaces. If the
soil is compact and the movement
slow, the air spaces are filled. and if .
the congestion remains too long, the
plants die, as is often seen in fields OF