The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-02-17
HOLD SPRING MOISTURE
Question OF Vital Importance to
Farmers in Dry Areas.
Anything That Can Be Done to Pre-
vent Loss Ought to Be Done
Local Conditions Largely
Determine the Method.
By PROFESSOR THOMAS sHAw1

CBy PROFESSOR THOMAS sHAw)
The question OF holding spring
moisture is one OF vital Importance to
those who farm In dry areas. Every
! particle of moisture that is lost from
the soil at that season is lost so far
at the expense of the crop. Anything
that can be done, therefore, to prevent
such loss ought to be done, providing
| II does not involve too much loss.
What can be done to effect this end?
The answer to this question will de-
pend upon many conditions.
II the ground has been plowed in
the autumn, on very many western
soils, minute fissures will be notice
able on the surface as soon as the
ground begins to dry out. These tis-
sures are i'm some instances quite
large, and the openings penetrate the
soil more deeply. Into these assures
the air penetrates as they are formed.
II is dTier and warmer than the soil,
and because of this it aids in the re-
moval of moisture The process OF
moisture removal is further fastened
by the climbing up of the subsoil mois-
ture from below. How shall this re-
moval of moisture be lessened?
II may be lessened by any method
of stirring the surface soil that Will
remove the cracks or assures on and
near the surface. The harrow is the
most efficient implement to accom-.
plish this purpose. But when the
ground is somewhat impacted, il may
he wise to use the disk first and to
follow the same with the harrow. In
yet other instances the plan may be
good which sows seed first by drilling
II in and then running the harrow
across the drill marks to stir the
whole surface of the soil This
may be done sometimes with advan'
tuge, as when spring wheat is sown,
as this is kind of grain that may be
sown quite early. Such sowing before
narrowing can only lie done with ad
vantage on comparatively smooth sur
faces, as on those that have been har
rowed the previous autumn. One dis.
advantage. of course, follows such har-
rowing, namely, that II does not hold
the snow so well as ground that is
left rougher. When thus treated the
escape of moisture is. in a great meas.
ure. prevented from the opening OF
spring. The effect upon crop produc.
tion will, in most instances. be quite
material
Though such autumn plowed lands
are not planted until late. as in the
case of corn or beans, such stirring Of
the surface soil as soon as it can bs
done is of great Importance. II checks
the escape of moisture, and the har-
rowing of the soil subsequently once
or twice before these crops are plant.
ed, not only aids in preventing the es-
cape of moisture, but it may mate.
rally aid also in the destruction OF
weeds that may germinate near the
surface in the interval between the
opening OF spring and f.he sowing OF
the seed.
, In the case OF stubble, the treatment
called for will depend upon the use
that is to be made of the land. and on
the condition of the land. Should the
land be of that nature that calls for
the aid of the harrow to close the fis
sures, II will pay to defer the planting
of the land or the plowing OF IT,
as the case may be. until the land
has been first narrowed or disked
II the land is to be drilled in with
some kind of grain, as wheat. Il will
usually pay to defer the drilling OF
the wheat until the land is gone over
with the harrow Such drilling without
plowing is sometimes in order. as in
the case OF drilling spring wheat into
fax ground that has been broken from
sod the previous spring. Should the
stubble land be wanted for some such
crop as fodder corn, II would probably
pay to first disk the stubble in the
early spring, to pillow II a little later,
and to pack II with a disk or subsur-
face packer after II is plowed.
Land that is broken in tha early
spring and that is to be devoted 10
the growing of crop the same season
should. of course. be compressed rs
soon as II is broken with some kind
OF a packer. II should then be har-
rowed at once and the crop should be
planted in season. On such land. the
packing and narrowing cannot be
given too soon after the plowing. pro-
viding the plowing is not done at a
time before the land has become SUN.
ciently dry to be plowed in season.
II is, OF course, true that some soils
do not thus form assures in the early
spring. This is true of sandy soils.
These may call for different kind of
treatment. Narrowing them thus early
may aid in their blowing Nuch judg.
ment is called for in all the operations
of the farm.