The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1916-12-01

drainage M needed on lelds and on
every part Of field where water
stands for some time after q rain,
when water oozes 20 the surface max
ing seepy spots and on land where
water stands in a post hole within
several feet OF the surface during the
growing season. On land that is well
drained, the crops are better able to
endure long drought than on TN
drained land. This is because the wa
ter In the unframed land shuts out
the air and the roots go only as deep
into the soil as the air penetrates
freely. On undrained land, the roots
of growing plants spread out near the
surface and when the soil dries out
during the hot summer, the crop
"fires" or burns up before maturity.
Poorly drained soil cannot be pre-
pared early in the spring and It is al
most impossible to properly prepare
II at any time for the reason that
large quantities of water evaporating
from the surface Of the soil makes 1t
compact and solid. The evaporation Of
the water in the early part OF the
growing season keeps the soil cold
regardless of the temperature of the
air, thereby retarding the growth OF
plants. Furthermore, helpful germs
cannot live In UNFRAMED soil and
change vegetable matter into avail.
able plant food, because the water
excludes the air from the soil.
We should deepen our soils FOR thn
reasons: First, TO increase It's water
holding capacity; second, to let the
water escape from the surface without
running over the ground and washing
II of; third, to permit the air to circu.
late freely for q considerable depth;
fourth, TO secure crops against drought
by enabling the roots to go down to
perpetual moisture; fifth, to increase
the area from which plant roots may
obtain food.
The soil must be well drained and
thoroughly pulverized for consider
able depth and In addition It must be
full of humus in order to produce max
imum crops. Fire Ia one Of our worst
enemies because we burn the corn
stalks, grass and trash on the land
that is needed TO properly prepare the
soil for growing crops. The humus
increases the water holding capacity
of the soil several times and puts 1t
In q loose open porus condition so
that air, water, and plant roots can
easily come into contact with every
grain of t. The humus also prevents
the soil from packing after heavy rains
and furnishes food for the bacteria
or microscopic life that makes the
plant food available for plants. II
matters not how much plant food the
soil may contain, II will not yield max
imum crops unless bacteria are pres.
emit TO make the plant food available
for crops. The number Of bacteria
In the soil closely follows the amount
Of humus In II.
II ia generally advisable to break
the land in the fall and winter for the
following reasons: First, we are not
as busy in the late fall and winter as
we are in the spring; second, the vege
table matter is turned under TO decay
third, insoluble plant food ia brought
TO the surface where the frost and All
can change II into soluble plant food;
fourth the soil is-rough and loose so
that It will drink in the rain that falls
When broken in the fall and winter
we can use the better styles Of
two and three horse turning plows OF
disc plows. The gasoline engine trac
ton pillow will do more and probably
better work. but the average small
farmer cannot afford to own one.
When we are unable TO break our
land during the fall and winter. We
should break II early In the spring
for the following reasons: First. &c
save water. II has been found by
experiments that unbroken land per
mits the water in the soil to escape
much faster than does broken land
Second, to prevent clods; third, to per
nit good settling of the soil before
planting time. In the early spring Il
ls best to use the disc pillow. SO sci
that It will not bring much suhsoii tt
the surface.