The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-02-02
SAVE SOIL MOISTURE
Reservoir Must Be Prepared to
Receive the Rain
WaAos carrSod Into oobooh MUS -
Brought Back % osrsses Whs~o
oesd 10 osemlna11no aRa
voune Roots oroWsno.

vouo0 ReoGs oreWsno.
% fAf - cultivated y concerned
there are three principal steps In ths
conservation Of sou moisture:
1. The sou must b loosensd TO .
Considerable depth in order to prepare
. reservoir to receive the rain and
earry the water downward into the
soil This may b aooomplished by
deep blowing. by listing. Or BY diskins
unplowed lands.
:. The water which = carried down
into the subsofl must b brought back
again into the surface soN whore the
seed il terminating and the young
roots are growing. and to accomplish
this . good connection must Be made
between the furrow-sl3oe and the sub
sofl. and this 10 The purpose in the use
Of the subsurfacs packer Immediately
after blowing.
:. Finally. In order hat the water
which 10 drawn MP again towards the
surface may not reach the air and be-
wasted BY evaporation. the upper two
or three inches Of the soil must be
kept mellow In the form Of q soil
mulch. and this Ia accomplished In the
growing Of crops. by frequent cult.
walton. which Is not 30 practicable
with wheat and other small grains az
with corn and other intertilled crops.
The most important step In soil
moisture conservation II to get the
water into the soil. When this has
been accomplished. the keeping Il
there and returning II gradually to the
growing crop 10 a relatively simple
matter. Many farmers have yet failed
to learn this most important fact Of
dry farming. that the storing of the
moisture In the soil II the first and
great principle Of soil moisture conser-
walton. The hrming and pulverizing
Of the soil to prepare the seed bed,
and the surface cultivation Of the soil
to maintain the mulch. are each with
out avail unless there has been stored
In the deeper soil a sufficient amount
OF moisture to support the growing
crop In time Of drought.
Now the moisture should be stored
at all times during the season. but
especially during the interval between
harvest and planting. This requires
early blowing so that the soil may be
In condition to catch the rain and alb.
sorb II.
In order that there may be room to
receive and store a heavy rain. deep
blowing Is desirable. II blowing can
not be done early. the cultivation Of
will keep the soil in good blowing con-
dition longer and favors the absorb
ton of rain.
A good rule. but II cannot always be
followed. is to pillow when the soil Ia In
such condition that II will drop from
the moldboard In q mellow. friabls
condition.
Deep blowing should be done with
purpose and intelligence.
Loosening the soil BY deep blowing
favors the absorption Of moisture. but
II rains do not come In time such land
will suffer from drought more quickly
than though It had been plowed shall.
low.
The loose soil dries out and capil-,
larity 10 broken, preventing the fur
row-slice from receiving moisture from
the subsoil rapidly enough to sustain!
the growing crop. The depth and fire.
Quency Of blowing should vary accord,
ing to the nature Of the soil. A light
or sandy soil requires less depth OF,
blowing and less frequent blowing
than a heavy. or compact. claysy or
-guEbo" soil.
As a general proposition. blowing
should be shallow when II precedes,
planting only . short time.
Plow deep In the fall. and plow dssp,
for summer fallow.
A long interval between psowins and,
seeding allows the soil to settle sum
GENTLY. while freezing and thawinsi
nellovs the raw. hard subsoil which
has bssn brought to the surface.
The relative depths Of blowing NAY,
- stated as follows:
shallow blowing ................S to q fnchoa
Medium lowtns.---..-..---..--s To . inches
Deep plowink ...-.----..-.-....7 to fnches
Flowing deeper than eight inches
With the common pillow 10 not usually
practicable, hut the soil may be stirred
twelve to eighteen inches deep with a
deep tillage pillow or subsoil pillow. and
In heavy soil with hard compact sub
soil such deep stirring may occasional
/ b b desirable
When land II allowed to he for Q
considerable period after blowing be-
tore the crop 10 planted. the settling Of
the soil. together with the surface cul
dvation to preserve the mulch and the
csmsnting due to rain. usually causes
the soil to repack and drm up to a
sulncisnt extent b make . good sssd
ID.