| OCR Text |
Show MOISTURE STORAGE IN SOIL Conclusion! Given at Drawn From Experiment Conducted at the North Platte Station. Conclusions drawn from expert ments conducted at the North Platte, N'et., substation: 1. That land which Is under thor ough cultivation absorbs water much more freely than land not under cultl-ration, cultl-ration, or which Is covered with grass or for any reasons has a hard surface. 2. That land under thorough cultivation culti-vation loses but little water from below be-low the first foot by surface evaporation, evapora-tion, so Ion as the mulch is kept In good condition. 3. That a growing crop uses water from the land In proportion to the growth of dry matter in the crop. 4. That land under summer tillage or thorough cultivation from May 1 to September 1 on the Nebraska substation sub-station farm has accumulated from 6.5 to 7 inches more water la the first tlx feet or soil than similar land growing grow-ing a crop. The water so stored haa been equal to from 4 to BO per cent, of the rainfall for the same period. The moisture content on summer-tilled summer-tilled land Increases below the six-foot six-foot area and la apparent to a depth of at leant 10 feet. 6. That water stored in the subsoil sub-soil to a depth of at least six feet Is available for the use of farm crops, and that alfalfa ts able to draw water from much deeper areas. 6. That abundance of water In the subsoil Is a great protection to the crop against drought, and that moisture mois-ture in the surface soil, while It may favor the Immediate growth of the plant, does not protect It against prolonged pro-longed drought. The protection of the crop agnlnst drought is in almost exact proportion to the total available soli water wltbtn the reach of the crop. 7. That grass crops (alfalfa and brome grass) dry the sulrsoll to such an extent that the first crop following grass Is wholly dependent on the season's sea-son's rainfall for Its moisture supply. 8. That a rainfall of from a quarter quar-ter to a half inch may have a decidedly decided-ly beneHclal effect upon a growing crop, and is of great assistance In securing se-curing a good stand at seeding time. Such a rainfall has little or no effect In Increasing the water In the lower soil unless the surface Is already moist from previous rains. Lesa than a half nch of rain falling on dry oil mulch does not wet the soil below the mulch aud I soon evaporated by the sun and wind. |
