The Clovis news. [volume] (Clovis, N.M.) 1907-1929, 1912-03-07
TILLAsE 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 70 Top Layer.

Ar 70 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 culti-
walton includes only the stirring Of the
soil after the crop has been planted.
For moist soils # is best to prac.
tice deep tillage in the preparation of
the seed bed and shallow cultivation
after the crop is planted. deep tiil-
age gives the plants a large amount
OF room In which 20 send their roots
In search Of plant food, allows the
soil to drink in the rainfall more free
", 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 it's 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 OF 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 it the plant food
which it has dissolved out Of the little
soil particles.
Place a lump of salt in a glass on.
water and stir for a few minutes. The
salt disappears, and you win find that
the water has a salty taste. The salt
has dissolved in the water. and we say
that the salt is in solution in the wa
ter. All of the food which comes from
the soil must be in solution before it
a 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 Il. but
must feed near the surface. If we
have a deep, mellow e bed. the
roots are encouraged to go deep and
gather plant food from a 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 shoulaV
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 a seed bed as corn or
root crops.
Soils that have always been plowed
shallow should be deepened gradually
by setting the pillow to 20 about one
men deeper each season until a depth
OF eight or nine inches has been reach
ed. If this deepening is not done
gradually, the soil will be injured and
poor crops VIII result for several sea
sons.
About one-third Of the total spaee
occupied by sand and about one-half
Of that taken up by clay is occunied
by the soil particles themselves. and
the other half is taken up By air. n
the soil be dry. For the best Growth
OF crops about half Of the space nor
occupied by soil should be equally d.
Yided between air and water. IF the
SOL is not drained this space he
comes entirely filled with water. and
the plants whose roots are feeding IN
the soil are sufocated from lack of
ar n oxygen. Some plants. such as
the cypress and water lily, have spe-
cial structures which enable them n
obtain their oxygen from the nir ana
water, while their roots are entirely
under water, but our common ield
plants do not have this power. Soils
tnat + quite sandy and gravelly may
allow the water to pass downward too
rapidly and thus deprive the plants
OF needed moisture. Ia such cases It
Is necessary to treat the land 10 such
a way that It's water holding capacity
Is Increased. This may be done by
blowing under stable manure or any
well rotted vegetable matter, which
assists the soil to hold water ike a
sponge.
in the heavy soils n water passes
downward so slowly that plants 10
their early growth send out only q
very shallow ROOT system. because the
free water is SO neal the surface and
because the common field plants viii
not send their roots into free water.
In time the wRter makes rs way far
below the roots Of the plant: q
drought comes on, and the plant dies
or shrivels, because the root system
IN It's early life did not extend deep
enough TO find the film water THAT IL.
a thin water coating on the soil
%grains), which would supply It during
the dry season.
PRICE Of Butter.