The Ordway new era., 1912-08-01
TO CONTROL MOISTURE

Packing Brings Supply Of Water
From Below.
stirring the Surface Leaves . Mulch
and Checks Evsporation-Harrow
May Be Used After the ordI.
nary Land Roller.
To properly understand tho 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 IL OF
most importance to Q farmer II what
10 sometimes called capillary water.
This capillary water 10 what 10 COM
Ing up from lower levels in the sell
all the time to the surface. The 40.
ton Of this water 10 seen whom dry
sand or earth 70 put in . small basin
OF water 30 that the soil 10 away
above the vessel containing II. II
there II enough water In the basin II
would saturats the soil to the very
top. much In the same way a. .
sponge would absorb the water, or .
lamp wick acts In conveying the oil
from tho bowl Of the lamp to the end
that II lighted. The fnsr the soil
PARTICLES are the more water they
will retain and hold a. Q nlm around
these particles. This II moisture
which the plants growing in such q
soil may use. Tho harder the soil II
packed the more readily this capil-
larry water comes to the surface. The
looser this soil 10 the slower 1t 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 FREQ
ly to the point of contact with the
roots Of the plants. Supposing the
soil 10 packed and left smooth on the
surface as the ordinary land roller
leaves II. then the capillary water
would come right to the surface and
the wind would lick It up with the
heat and away It would go in the
air. Any system Of cultivation that
will prevent this will cut of the Chin
neys. 80 to speak. from coming right
to the surface SO that they discharge
tho moisture in the loose soil below
the surface where the plant roots are.
Hence It IL that in a cultivated hoe
crop. even in the driest time, one can
with the use OF his boot uncover the
moist soil. Often when walking and
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 1t wouldn't have the same
effect In encouraging the evaporation
Of the capillary water. It shouldn't
be forgotten. however. that harrow
may be used after the ordinary land
roller. and 1t will break up this waste
'of acN- 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 a reservoir for the reten.
tion Of capillary water for the crops
which follow. The more and the finer
this soil is worked the more water 1t
will hold and the Burer one Is Of a
crop In a dry climate or in dry sea-
son.
In test made some years ago by
Prof. F. H. King. the surface Of the
depth Of three inches during a period
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
14.48 tons per 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 sev-
en- weeks In favor Of the cultivated
land. II man should attempt to haul
this amount Of water on to the land
with teams he would have a stupen-
GUS undertaking. and yet the actual
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 for
analysis. One team could not make
much headway hauling water for q
forty-acre field Of corn during such a
period Of seven weeks. but 1t could
readily cultivate the field several
times and thereby conserve altogether
over 5000 tons Of water. The meas.
ured saving in water was equal to
II inches OF rainfall.
A Good Pruning Suggestion.