| Show I rtssrralrr Soil Moitturo t Incidental to tho prevalent discussions t of the various jihnsos of tho Irrigation question tho subject of saving tho soil moisture Is receiving considerable attar t lion It Is Interesting to noto the vnrl thus sldos from which such subjects aro t approached and tho various conclusions reached depending on tho writers paint f of view Such diversities arc to bo ox a peeled and graat Rood on the wholo r comes from such exchange of oxuorluticu i and opinions fir although each sees thu j subject from his own sldo this Interchange ii Inter-change of vlows makes each soinuwlml conversant with tho subject us n whole r This fuller acquaintance ho would never got by his own unaided experience It Is trout I earnest Intelligent observation observa-tion and discussion that the advanumonl of farming Interests must come owe o-we may expect only good I from thu discussion dis-cussion now occupying so much space In agricultural and country papers upon tho subjects of Irrigation conservation of moisture and etc Whllo the subject or how to supply I plants with tho proper amount of moist tiro Is one as a whole takes ns many phases us the illlForont persons handling It hero are In fact many distinct factors that go to make this one general result A proper and full treatment of tho subject would Include all of them but It Is often convenient to classify unil to deal with ono at a time One writer thinks only how to not water on the sol lie Is Inclined to say that all wo want Is water Another thinks that the preparation of tho boll Is thu all Important Im-portant thing lIe would subsoil and plow deep thus preparing n deep bed of earth to hold tho water and thu plant food and glvo tho plant roots room to expand and amplyfy so that tho crop will have a largo area from which to I draw Its supply In tltno of need An I othor would strive by methods of cultivation culti-vation to retain any water that falls upon the soil of his fields or that maybe may-be put upon It by Irrigation Ho observes ob-serves tho loss of water from throwing up tho fresh earth to drying winds by doop cultivation and tho evident distress dis-tress of plants from this cause and from having their roots disturbed and broken at a tlmo when under tho most favora able opportunities tho plant Is soroly pressed to sustain Itself No doubt there Is much In what any of those may say on this favorite thomo but all should bo considered together The question of how to save moisture In soils and at tho sauna tlmo If possible bring tho soil to tho condition that oxcoss water docs no damage Is far broader In Its application applica-tion than that of bringing water upon tho sol There arc many seotlons whore Irrigation Irri-gation will not bo practiced whore rainfall rain-fall Is usually sufllclunt for the needs of crops but which suffer at times How to economize In tho use or rather waste of the water In tho soil when such times come els an Important cosldcratlon Methods of preparing soil and of tillage that will serve to keep tho soil In thu best condition aro then of groat value In all sections In those whore rainfall Is p generally sufficient and In thoso where Irrigation must be resorted to But It would seem to bo of greater Importance whore water In soil stands for an outlay of money or labor or both Whore water wa-ter has cost nothing but has fallen from tho clouds ono may bo excused for letting It escape In wasteful ways perhaps per-haps but certainly no such wasto can bo afforded whoro water costs something some-thing The water In either case should bo mado to go as far as possible In growing grow-ing crops Doop and thorough opening of tho soil Is a first requisite In many soils But hero discrimination must be used Close compact soils will repay opening up by tho subsoil plan If need bn Ou some soils green manuring or applications of well rotted barnyard manure would bo useful In Improving tho texture to say nothing of their effects ef-fects as a fertilizer In seasons like this tho harrow should closely follow the plow Soil thrown up roughly dries out rapidly and becomes cloddy The harrow har-row or tho roller and levoler should be used at the close of each days plowing The difference In tho loss of water from soil thrown up roughly by tho plow and from that which has been harrowed and plaukod Is certainly conslderiibo although al-though I have no figures upon tho subject sub-ject Surface Ullage at tha tlmo when crops nvo suffering most for water will serve to reduce loss by evaporation 1 hose methods are all being urged for adoption by man who would Improve their farm practice They have been abundantly Jus titled hy experience In practical experiments Wo may confidentially confi-dentially expect that as greater study Is given to soil physics because ijf the prominence It Is assuming In Irrigation Investigations our knowledge of how to save the water of our soils will be greatly great-ly Increased and that thu Importance of such measures will be so fully demonstrated demon-strated that none will question 111ror 0 H Flalyor I Balfour Is In appearance one of tho most Indolent men In public life In Kns land though In reality one of tho moat achy mentally A writer describes him as flitting on tho Treasury bench with his backbone so curved as to bring his head where his back should have been with his feet In air his heels resting on the desk before him |
