OCR Text |
Show VALUE OF DUST MULCH Many Crops in Time of Drought Saved by Method. Fertility of Soil, Although Absolutely Necessary, Is Not a Bit More Needed Need-ed Than the Proper Amount of Moisture. Ordinarily when one thinks of the conditions that are Imperative to Insure the production of a farm crop of any kind that may be grown, he thinks of the fertile soli as the most Important of all. And It Is, of course, absolutely necessary that a soil with abundant plant food be planted on to get a crop. But the soil, or rather the plant food, although absolutely necessary, it Is not a bit more so than the needed amount of moisture, says a writer In the Farm Progress. Fortunately water is In sufficient supply as a rule to make the ordinary ordi-nary crops on most of the arable land. Of course, In the arid regions the water supply Is obtained from streams created mainly by melting snows, and as a rule, the Irrigation companies know just about what water can be supplied, and the man who has a farm on which he can put water from an Irrigation plant Is far more certain of results than one who gets his water supply by the acts of Providence. The irrigation farmer is therefore far more certain as to the outcome of his crops than those In the rain belt, who get little or much water, according accord-ing to the rainfall. The water supply Is therefore the most uncertain and most Important In the greater portion of the arable lands of this country. This Is so well known that' no farmer who has farmed on Irrigated land, having an abundance of water, Is willing to go back to the old method and put his dependence on "Providence." It is a most important point to known whether, under normal conditions, condi-tions, farming in any humid section can be as safe, free from risk, and profitable as the business can be made when one can turn on the water as he needs without reference to rainfall. I think that all farmers who have studied the water question in connection connec-tion with crop making, will agree with me, that a great deal can be done to conserve the moisture from all natural sources, and that ofteD a fairly good crop can be made by proper management. It Is hardly safe to say that the rainfall that Is usual In the spring Is sufficient to make a crop without more rain, but all observant men have learned that the rational conservation con-servation of moisture can often make good crops, when by the neglect of this, they will be certain to cause a failure. This Is a very Important point, and in some seasons It is absolutely vital to the making of a fair crop. There is no mystery about this; the point to keep in mind Is to prevent evaporation evapora-tion of the water from the soil. It cannot be done entirely; much water will evaporate In spite of us, and much will go on down below the reach of plant roots; but in seasons or only ordinary drought it Is possible possi-ble to conserve enough moisture to make a fair crop of corn, tobacco, potatoes po-tatoes and other hoed crops. The "dust mulch," or blanket of finely pulverized soil on the surface, say three to four Inches deep, will stop the waste of water almost entirely. en-tirely. In fact. If the soli Is kept stirred on the surface quite often, It may be truthfully said that all the moisture may be kept In the ground for the use of the crops. Of course, we can never tell at the beginning of the season whether It is going to be a wet season or a dry one. but If a man cultivates wits reference to keeping the moisture In the soil, it will be all the better In case of a very wel season, and It may be the salvation of the crop In case of severe drought. So It Is wise to keep this In mind.' It is therefore very Important for one to plant no more land than he can cultivate perfectly, and always In a dry seasono keep the soli stirred to a depth of two or three Inches. No matter whether the cultivation culti-vation Is actually needed or not, stirring as often as possible a few Inches of the surface will stop the escape as absolutely as a cover of Bheet Iron. Those who doubt this method ol saving crops from suffering by drought should try this method thoroughly. It takes labor, ut It may save the crops. I know from experience. |