American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-09-09
CULTURE OF IDAHO ARID SOILS

Idaho farmers, Al follows:
Soil Variation.
Over any large area of country one
will find upon investigation hat most
soils will vary In depth, texture, struc-
ture and layer formations and also In
beneficial or injurious chemical con-
~stituents. These and other factors
canstng material soil fluctuations have
-nef~ Spflpfnce on the vitality OF plants
NM be- degrees Of soil yaria-
ton TN q extent OF some farms being
unifoq good, others not so good
and sd4 a combination Of both. Then
there w be localities that will have
a consid fable area Of good soil while
H'oinisig Ut Will be a variable Or poor
soil.
sen Depth and Water Limitations.
The chief factors governing the
vigor Of plants and large crop pro
duction are proper soil depth and
texture together with such farm OPP
erations as will best maintaln the
fertility Of the soil. The proper soil
help will depend largely upon whether
dry or irrigation farming Is practices
together with the amount Of water
available when needed for irrigation.
The dry land farmer needs n deep Soil
to act as a reservoir to store water
and TO practice methods to retain the
moisture absorbed In the soil and the
same Is true of the irrigated farm
and especially where the irrigation
water and annual rainfall is limited
-, pf-.tiad
IL the soil depth and water IL ain
where irrigation IL practiced then the
crop yields will be limited proportion
ately.
Soft Texture.
The soil texture, (size OF soil parti-
cles, IA n matter OF importance De-
cause on this depends the soiPs re-
tentive quality to retain the water
absorbed, also the freedom OF the
soil moisture movement In both ADJ
sorption and evaporation. II Is Wen
known IN irrigation practice that the
finer the soil particles, as clay, thc
slower the water p%enetrates and some
times TO the degree In which II prncti'
cally ceases to do 80 and II Ia for this
reason that the finer soils are USED
to puddle the irrigation bitches to les
sen the water seepage. While the finei
soils are slow In action to absorb wat
ter, they are also tenacious In holding
Il and this quality Is Its weakness cs
pecially n such soil lacks the coarse
surface covering to protect 1t from tn
elements. II such soils are EXPOSED
to the action OF the air, wind and SUI
or all three combined at the same time
the clay soils will lose the moisture !
m astonishingly short time while
sandy soil Will dry off at the surfac
very quickly and then the dry sand
surface will act as a mulch or SUI
face blanket to retard he evaporatio
of the subsoil moisture. ! cite the tw
extremes IN soil type 80 as to bette
illustrate the points essential to con
slider. II IL conceded that most farr
soils are In texture between these OK
tremes and that the soil moistur
movement will vary In proportion Z
the size and arrangement OF the sol
particles and exposure to evaporation
Subsoil Structure.
II IL relatively important to consid
or also the nature OF the subsurfac
structure as to layers Of soil varyin|
In texture and arrangement n thei
influence to facilitate or impede tn
proper soil moisture movement. A sol
may be deep and with n texture I
hold the maximum OF stored waite
In Il and yet be useless to he plant
above It II a layer of coarse SAM o
gravel was thick enough and near tn
surface 80 as to break the freedom o
the moisture movement from belo'
1t. The same would be true II q hard
pan layer was near the surface o
even q clay layer near the surfac
will impede moisture movement iror
below 10 the detriment OF the vigor @
the plants. Then thoro may be
combination of layers such IA hard
pan, sand. gravel or a layer of grea
ucptn Oh any oht VI th'eN w" Wv
a deep or shallow soil above aud c
any texture.
Freak Acting Soils.
There may be many fluctuating 80
types In the same locality due to III
various formations OF different or'gi
and this may ever b. possible on u
same farm where the varying form'
lions merge, These factors are usua
iy conspicuous to the farmer and !
learns to govern hss operations a
cordingly, But where the soil Is a
oeptive to the average farmer becau'
of its freakish ACTIN on rreps IA a
'lerens seasons Ia the subject Of moi
emit. over a large area of country !
soil may appear, from all surface
dications. to be OF uniform quality !
farm practice but their test ON gre
ing crops may prove II to be oth'
wiae and this frequently occurs III