Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-03-06
DEEP FLOWING URGED
Method Has Been PractiCed
From Time Immemorial.
As Matter Of Carrying Over Water In
Soil and to Receive Fall Rains aad
Snow IL 10 One Of Most Dom
InaHt Factors.

It is wonderful how little moisture
penetrates our harder soils In sam
mer, no matter how abundant the
rainfall may be, and even long expe-
rience with such soils hardly pre-
pares one for their dry condition when
one goes forth to pillow.
The moisture falling 20 late this
season there has not been 30 much
evaporation, and in some soils have
observed the downward penetration
has been much greater than with a
great deal more precipitation In the
summer months, and it is likely to
endure for some time, giving an Op-
portunity for deep blowing.
1t Is not necessary here to urge
deep blowing is suitable to all condi-
tons. The point Is, is 1t not neceS-
sary to our hard land, especially those
to be dry farmed2
Merely alb a matter of carrying over
water in the soil and for the entrance
of later rains and SHOWS, is 1t not the
one most dominant factor in produc-
Ing crops; is not the question of max
ing use OF our denser dry soils one Of
bringing them more to the porous
condition of the sander soil, which alb
sorb all the rainfall and a great deal
Of snow before 1t evaporates in our
warm sun and dry atmospheric
If the answer is yes, then the inn
pCrtance OF blowing deeply when con-
ditions are favorable as at present
ss44saf ,nA ha .,va~Io1Yyal ,,nfa.a -
have command OF deep tillage tools
and power to operate them, and even
with these less expensive result will
be claimed than in a dry time.
Ihave not the data and do not know
even that 1t exists to show at what
point gravity overcomes the pumping
power Of the sun to draw moisture
from the soil, but 1t Is at no great
depth. So long as the soil is kept
stored and pipes are not formed
through which the water can evapo-
rate. Roughly speaking, should say
that when moisture has descended
eight to ten inches it will be with any
reasonable top mulch either from
good blowing or cultivation continue
in large measure to descend and that
short of six inches 1t will be very apt
to ascend In vapor and largely disap-
pear, no matter how carefully we try
TO retain the dust mulch on large
tracts of land.
Theoretically, the dust mulch will
hold it perhaps also in practice 80
long as no cropping interferes with
cultivation, but for practical results
it is extremely desirable to get the
moisture down as far as possible from
the suns attraction, which raises It
to the winds and evaporation in an at.
mosphere which with US almost al
ways absorbs moisture.
This same moisture when it has de-
scended to a depth of eight to twelve
inches, lies as a poultice on the sub
soil and softens it and descends yet
deeper where In its original state the
subsoil was quite incapable of absorb
ing 1t in the small quantities which
lay ON 1t for only short time and
thus we get penetration of moisture
to FIVE, SIX or more feet, and have
accomplished something permanent
quite different from merely wetting
FIVE or six inches of top coil by light
blowing.
1t is true that crops will use the
moisture, but its effects on the subsoil
will remain, for 1t has become absorb
emit TO future rains and SHOWS.