Show SAVING THE SOIL MOISTURE surface evaporation may oe be reduced in two ways Way waymand Many material materials aad for foreign Mul mulched chet cc 11 tho the moisture ie Is not masted thero there seldom is 1 a season so dry that farmers cannot 9 grow rom excellent crops says dry farming tile problem Is to conserve tho the soil moisture tion by checking evalora ev apora in surface evaporation maybe may bo reduced two WO ways by the application of 0 borne some protective co covering to the moist eoll and by bubli treatment as will reduce tho the teri tendency dency to Capor evaporation atlon says R L I 1 throckmorton worton assistant in soils at lit the tile kansas agricultural college the protective protect ho covering constitutes utes a mulch thero there arc are tuo kinds of mulches these aro are natural soil mulches modified by tillage and find foreign mulches M which litch are applied to the surface of tho the soil the natural soil mulch consists simply of an air dry aa a er of soil covering the soil below tho the effectiveness of the natural soil mulch Is dependent upon the size of tho the soil boil particles elps the coarseness of crumb structure the thickness of the tile mulch and the fro frequency quency of stirring sas professor throckmorton caro care should bo be taken not to have a i very fine dust mulch because it will mill tend to prevent the ready entrance of moisture into the eoll soil and the cultivation necessary for its formation will destroy organic matter A deep mulch Is desirable but there la Is danger in getting it too deep because the roots of the plant will 1011 be harmed by the deep cultivation the tile nuh should bo be stirred frequently in the spring thu sooner it Is stirred after a rain the better many materials are used for foreign mulches the more calmon coi timon ones in use are manure straw dead weeds eeds and sawdust they are applied to the surface of the ground and servo serve as a cover to the moist soil these are used to 0 o a considerable extent on grain and pasture nelds all of them are efficient as is a mulch their effi efficiency clency depending upon their thickness and porosity the foreign mulch Is not used extensively in general farm work and Is not as practical as the natural soil mulch |