Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1914-01-17
DEEP FLOWING IS IMPORTANT
FACTOR IN FARMING.
This Method Has Been Practiced
From Time Immemorial.

1t is wonderful how little moisture
penetrates our harder soils in sum
mer, no matter how abundant the
rainfall may be, and even long expe-
rience with such soils hardly prepares
one for their dry condition when one
goes forth to plow.
The moisture falling so late this sea-
son there has not been so much evap-
Grafton, and in some soils | have OBJ
served the downward penetration has
b en- much greater than with a great
deal more precipitation in the summer
months, an dit is likely to endure for
some time, giving an opportunity for
deep blowing.
1t is not necessary here to urge
deep blowing is suitable to all condi-
tons. The point is, is it not necess-
sary to our hard land, especially those
to be dry farmed?
Merely as a matter of carrying over
water in the soil and for the entrance
OF later rains and SHOWS, is it 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
absorb all the rainfall and great deal
of snow before it evaporates in our
warm sun and dry atmosphere?
If the answer is yes. then the i'm
portance of blowing deeply when con
ditions are favorable as at present
must not be overlooked unless we
have command of deep tillage tools
and power to operate them, and even
with these less expensive result will
be claimed than in dry time.
have not the data and do not know
even that il exists to show at what
point gravity overcomes the pumping
power OF the sun to draw moisture
from the soil. but it is at no great
depth. So long as the soil is kept
stored and pipes are not formed
which through 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 it 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 so
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 absorb moisture.
This same moisture when it has de
scended TO dpth or eight 10 we've
inches, lies as 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 it in the small quantities which
lay on it for only short time and
thus we get penetration of moisture
to five, six or more feet. and have &C
complished something permanent
quite different from merely wettng
FIVE or six inches of top soil by light
blowing.
1t is true that crops will use the
moisture but its effects on the subsoil
will remain, for it has become absorb
ent to future rains and snows.-Col-
orado Agricultural College