The Raymer enterprise., 1912-02-08
TILLAGE OF DRY LAND
Operation Of Loosening and Stir
ring Of Soil.
Shallow Cultivation Checks Rapid Loss
Of Water From Surface, Kills
Weeds and Aids In Admitting
Air to Top Layer.


Air to Top Layer.
The operation OF loosening and stir.
ring the soil is usually spoken OF as
tillage or cultivation. Tillage In
cludes both the preparation before
planting and the working Of the soil
after the crop is planted. while cult
walton includes only the stirring of the
soil after the crop has been planted.
For moist soils 1t is best to prac-
tice deep tillage in the preparation OF
the seed bed and shallow cultivation
after the crop is planted. Deep till.
age gives the plants large amount
OF room In which to send their roots
In search Of plant food. allows the
soil to drink In the rainfall more free
y, and permits the air TO enter the
soil and help In the preparation OF
plant food. Shallow cultivation checks
the rapid loss OF water from its sur
face. kills weeds, and helps to admit
air to the surface layer Of soil.
Plants are like animals In that they
must have food and drink or they
soon sicken and die. Animals can
move about from place to place and
secure their food. but plants must get
their food and water by sending their
roots out into the soil The tiny roots
which spread out through the soil
are busy all OF the time taking up wa
ter from the soil for the use OF the
stalk and leaves above. This water.
as It goes into the plant through the
roots. carries with 1t the plant food
which 1t has dissolved out Of the little
soil particles.
Place lump Of salt in glass Of
water and stir for a few minutes. The
salt disappears, and you will find that
the water has salty taste. The salt
has dissolved In the water. and We say
that the salt is in solution In the wa
te'. All OF the food which comes from
the soil must be in solution before It
can be used by the plant. The water
that goes in through the roots presses
out through the leaves into the air
and leaves the plant food behind TO
build up the tissues Of the plant
II the soil is hard and lumpy the lit.
tie roots can penetrate far into It, but
must feed near the surface. II We
have deep, mellow seed bed. the
roots are encouraged to go deep and
gather plant food from large amount
OF soil. The plant food In hard. lumpy
ground is not easily dissolved. Stir.
ring the soil and breaking up the
clods bring the water into contact
with more soil surface and hastens the
solution OF the plant food.
The depth to which the soil should
be prepared depends upon the depth
to which the plant roots will pene-
trate. Wheat. oats and other small
grains are shallow rooted and do not
need so deep seed bed as corn or
root crops.
Soils that have always been plowed
shallow should be deepened gradually
by setting the plow to go about one
inch deeper each season until a depth
OF eight or nine inches has been reach.
ed. II this deepening Is not done
gradually. the soil will be injured and
poor crops will result for several sea.
sons.
About onethird OF the total space
occupied by sand and about one-haIf
OF that taken up by clay is occupied
by the soil particles themselves and
the other half is taken up by air, II
the soil be dry. For the best growth
OF crops about half OF the space not
occupied by soil should be equally dl.
Vlded between air and water. II the
soil Is not drained this space be-
comes entirely filed with water. and
the plants whose roots are feeding in
the soil are suffocated from lack of
air and oxygen. Some plants. such as
the cypress and water lily, have spe.
cial structures which enable them to
obtaiE their oxygen from the air and
water. while their roots are entirely
under water but our common field
plants do not have this power Soils
that are quite sandy and gravelly may
allow the water to pass downward too
rapidly and thus deprive the plants
OF needed moisture. In such cases II
Is necessary to treat the land In such
way that It's water holding capacity
Is increased. This may be done BY
plowing under stable manure or any
well rotted vegetable matter, which
assists the soil to hold water like q
sponge.
In the heavy soils the water passes
downward SO slowly that plants in
their early growth send out only q
very shallow root system, because the
free water Is so near the surface and
because the common field plants will
not send their roots into free water
In time the water makes its way far
below the roots Of the plant; q
drought comes on. and the plant dies
or shrlvels. because the root system
in its early life did not extend deer
enough to find the Aim water THAT IL
thin water coating on the soil
grains), which would supply 1t during
the dry season.