American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-02-19
SOIL MOISTURE
Stir Surface and Prevent Pack
ing to Accomplish Purpose.
Universally Known That Loose Soil,
Well Stirred, Retains Water Far
More Successfully Than When
Packed by Rains

Every year there is some addition
made to the sum total of the expert
ence that farmers over the country
have had in the matter Of treating
corn In the way that is the most sue
cessful in a session of severe drought.
This knowledge of the general sub
ject of c~ultivating crops in seasons of
drought prompts u~p-to-date farmers
to keep the surface Of the soil con
stantly stirred up and loose, as long
as the weather continues dry, says a
Kansas writer in the Farm Progress.
1t is now universally known that the
soil with the surface kept loose and
well stirred, retains moisture far more
successfully than where it is packed
solid by the beating of rains or other
cause. If anyone has never had
a demonstration of how the moisture
escapes from the earth by evaporation
will take a strong magnifying glass
and look at the dry, hard earth, where
a piece is broken off and shows a fresh
surface, he will see the fine. little
"capillaries," or tubes, through which
the water escapes from the earth to
the air, when the earth is drying rap.
idly.
So long as the capillaries are open
from where they start at varying
depths down in the soil up to
the surface, the moisture will continue
to pass up through and escape. But
If the surface is broken up in any
way, say by blowing or narrowing, and
all the capillaries are broken of the
moisture that starts from below will
be stopped neal the surface where
the capillaries are broken off.
This is the simple explanation of the
earth mulch" which is universally
known as a conservator of moisture
And it explains why the hard-packed
surface are always the dryest.
When rainfall is abundant, no spe
cial care need be taken to conserve
the moisture in the soil for the use OIL
the crops; but as soon as it seems i'm
minent that there will be serious
drought, If it has not been already
done, the cultivated surfaces In al
crops where 1t can be done, ought t.
be thoroughly stirred, but not to 6
greater depth than two or three
inches. And 1t should be turned ovel
as little as possible.
That is the top surface, already
moderately dried out, should remain
on top to keep the moisture in the lay
er below it as it is, as long as posi-
BILE. This is a simple thing to do; .bu
1t has been found to save crops tina
would otherwise have been dried VI
entirely without this precaution.
This method of conserving moisture
which constitutes the basic principi'
Of profitable farming in the semi-ari,
region, has not had as much attention
In the humid parts Of the countr.
as it deserves. AS a rule, the farmer
who grow general crops, and besidei
small grain and grass, raise corn, pc
tatOes and tobacco, have never, as
rule, seemed to be much impresse,
with any scheme to conserve mois
ture.
Cultivation has been done mainly t
keep the soil loose and keep down tn
weeds and grass. But many are usinI
this method now mainly for the pun
pose of keeping the moisture within
reach of the plants roots. And it i
often the case that a crop that woul,
without the conserving of the mois
ture, practically perish, is thus KEEP
going until abundant rainfall come
and finally makes a fair crop.
When any hoed crop is kept cieal
and the soil stirred sufficiently to pre-
serve what moisture is needed to keel
1t in vigorous condition till rain comes
it is quite often the Ease that all tn,
vigor of the plant is then thrown int
the fruiting and the yield of grain viii
be more than was expected. and ia
more than growth of stalk seems t.
justify the hope of.
GETTING TPEEC Al OhE R0k0e