| OCR Text |
Show METHOD OF SAVING MOISTURE Much Can Be Gleaned From Fsrmsrs Who Raise Profitable Crops With Small Rainfall. There Is much that can be learned from the methods of the dry land farmers who raise profitable grain crops In regions with less than 18 Inches of rainfall If the practices which they follow to conserve the moisture for crop were followed more closely by farmers everywhere bigger and better crops could be grown. The land Is plowed deep to get a good bed of mellow soil which will hold the moisture. It Is then packed to make It firm, which holds the moisture, and the surface Is harrowed within a few hours to let the air Into the top soil and form a surface mulch of dry soil which prevents the moisture mois-ture from below going up Into the air. The thoroughness with which these operations are done determine largely large-ly the size of the crop. On most farms east of the semi alrld region the roller may take the place of the siil) surface pucker if tt Is used with discretion. The roller Is particularly valuable to use after plow In late summer and early fall when the ground Is dry. It should be well weighted and follow the plow closely. Hut used when the ground Is wet It will do more harm than good. fio over the ground after the roller the same half day with Acme or smoothing harrow and harrow again after each rain before the seed Is sown. If the ground Is plowed eight to ten Inches deep and well pulverized the moisture will Unrk up from the subsoil, but the surface mulch will keep It from evaporating and a fine, moist seedbed will result. Soil moisture moves quickly up and down hut slowly sideways. It inlrkly evaporates If there Is nothing on top to prevent It. If the surface Is stirred frequently It breaks up the myriads of rubes through which the moisture rises from below and goes nff Into the air. The dry land farmers find that It pays them to harrow their grain In the spring, not only to destroy the weeds, but to establish a new soil mulch. Other farmers would find even greater great-er profit In using the harrow or cultivator culti-vator In their orchards and cultivated props after each rain all through the season. |
