Show KEEP RAIN IN SOIL Surface Tillage Does It While i Deep Plowing Makes Room Thrifty Farmers Try to Keep Their Soil Mellow and Loose on the Surface r Sur-face to Absorb and Hold Water Wa-ter During Dry Season rr Plants arc like nnlmnla In that they must have food and drink or they soon sicken and die Animals can move I about from place to place and secure their food but plants must get their food and water by sending their roots out through tho soil Tho tiny roots which spread out through tho soil are busy nil of the tlmo taking up water from the soil for the use of the stalk and leaves above This water as it goes Into the plant through the roots carries with RAIN l1l i PERCOL TIVE 1 = = Rain Soaking Into Soil it the plant food which it has dissolved dis-solved out of the little soil particles All of the food which comes from the Boll must be In solution before it can be used by the plant The water that goes In through the roots passes out through the leaves Into the air and eaves tho plant food behind to buildup build-up the tissues of the plant If tho soil is hard and lumpy the little roots cannot penetrate far Into it but must feed near the surface If wo have a deep mellow seed bed the roots arc encouraged to go deep and gather plant food from a large amount of soil l The plant food in hard lumpy ground Is not easily dissolved Stirring the soil and breaking up the clods brings the water into contact with more soil surface and hastens the solution of tho plant food Thrifty farmers try to keep their soil mellow and loose on tho surface so that It will absorb and hold water enough to carry the plant through the dry hot part of the season The pictures herewith show an Interesting In-teresting way In which the rainwater enters the soil and how it comes backup back-up to the surface by capllllary attraction attrac-tion In the first picture the rain In soak Ing into the soil passing down into it by gravity and is stored for future useTho The second picture shows how theta the-ta water during dry weather moves up I y 0 to supply the plants On ono side oft of-t t fi EVAPORATION t t f f r M 15TH E W TE = TOI I g i N OIL = L Water Moving Up the plant n mulch prevents the loss of moisture while on tho other side the water is being lost by evaporation at the crusted surface When a heavy rain falls tho greater of part of tho water passes down through the soil until It reaches a place where all tho openings between the soil par tlcles aro filled with free water During Dur-ing the tlmo between rains the plants must get their moisture from this supply sup-ply deep down in the ground In order to keep this moisture In the ground a loose light mulch on the surface Is necessary and this Is pro duccd by shallow cultivation |