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Show INCREASE YIELD FEH ACRE Quantity of Water Required to Prj dues Grain Becomee Smaller as Fertility Is Improved. One of the most Important recent discoveries In the handling of cropa and especially of grain is that in reference ref-erence to the relation of soil fertility and moisture. - Kxperlments have brought p-oof that the quantity of w-ater required to produce a bushel of grain becomes smaller as the fertility of the soil Increases. It requires twice as much water to produce a bushel of grain on an infertile soil as It does oo fertile soli In good tilth, Bays the Kan sas Farmer. Tests showing this re suit have been made both In Europe bd-J America. In every case the more fertile soil, either through tillage oi the use of manure or of commercial fertilizers, the' less the amount of water necessary for the production of each bushel of grain. The greater portion of the plant food In the aoll la Inert unlll by deep plow Ing, thorough tilings and early prep" ration It la made available to tbe plants. Such treatment holds moisture deeper In tbe soil, the air and the gates work on the Inert earth and the moisture helps dissolve the plant food, Increasing the number and action of bacteria In the soil, these bacteria manufacturing plant food from tbe earth particles. A wheat grower who gives his field the minimum amount of tillage, only disking his land, does little toward making the fertility available and 2.000 pounds of water or more may be required re-quired In his fields for each pound o( wheat harvested. The grower who follows the plan of shallow plowing se-cures se-cures some Increase In fertility, but not enough to use the mol'ture to the best advantage. Karly preparation of land, deep plow Ing and constant cultivation until it Is In good tilth, with prlng harrowing, makes the aoll so fertile that only about one-half as much moisture Is required re-quired to produce a bushel of grain as It required with alight preparation Intensive tillage secures double tbe service from the rain full. Commercial fertilizers and manure, after becoming thoroughly Incorporated Incorpor-ated In the soli, have the aame effect. Rotation with legumes and summer fallowing similarly Increase the grain producing effect af the rainfall. This is the surest way to double or treble the yield per acre. |