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Show TO CONSERVE SOIL MOISTURE Nebraska Experiment Station Con-due Con-due tt Some Very Interesting and Valuable Trials. The Nebraska experiment station htt conducted some very valuable experiments ex-periments to determine method to conserve toll moisture. While these experiment had in view a leu rainfall rain-fall than that of IllluoU. for example, ihe rtoiiliH arc nevertheless valuaM and suggestive to farmer In Ullnol farmer territory. Nearly every year crop In initio!, elc, auffer In July utul AuKUKt from lurk of soil moisture. Tlie Nebraska station h reached the folio lug conclusion from It experiment: ex-periment: 1. That land which I under thorough thor-ough cultivation absorb water much u:ore freely than land not under cultivation culti-vation or which I covered with gran or for any rcanon ha a hard surface. sur-face. 2. That land under thorough cultivation culti-vation lose but little water from below be-low the first foot by surface evaporation evapora-tion ho Ioiik a ttie mulch t kept In good condition 3. That a growing crop uses water from the land In proportion to (ho growth of dry matter In the crop. 4. That land under summer tillage or thorough cultivation from May 1 to September 1 on the substation farm ba accumulated 'mm 5.6 to 7 Inches more water in the first lx feet of soli than similar land growing a crop. The water so stored ha been equal to from 40 to 60 per cent, of the rainfall for the same period. The moisture content on summer tilled land Increase In-crease below the six foot area and I apparent to a depth of at least 10 feet. h. That water stored In the subsoil sub-soil to a depth of at least six feet I available for the use of farm crops, and that alfalfa Is able to draw water from much deeper area. 6. That abundance of water In the subsoil Is great protection to the crop against drought, and that moisture mois-ture In the surface soil, while It may favor the Immediate growth of the plant, doe not protect It against pro longed drought. The protection of the crop against drought I In almost exact proportion to the total available oll water within the reach of the crop. 7. That gran crop (alfalfa and brome grass) dry the subsoil to ftuch an extent on the substation farm that the first crop following grass I wholly whol-ly dependent on the season's rainfall for It moisture supply. 8. That a rainfall of from a quarter quar-ter to a half-Inch may have a decidedly decided-ly beneficial effect upon a growing crop and I of great aasUtance in ae-curing ae-curing a good statu! at seeding time. Such a rainfall baa little or no effort In Increasing the water In the lower aoil below the mulch and I ku vapnrated by the sun and wtnL |