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Show DRY FARMING METHOD It Is Necessary to Have Soil in Proper Condition. How to Conserve Moisture Is One of Most Important Questions tor Farmer to Solve In Dry Portions Por-tions of Northwest. Much Is said at present In the tun-lb wuxt riKurdiiiK dry f;imiin. Tin-en luelliotla ure only good funning methods. In good farming il Is military mili-tary to huve the soil in a good plitical I'ondiUou, Including texture, tempers-ture, tempers-ture, ventilation und soil wuHhltig. The soli should have plenty of plant food. In raising loo buKht l of u ru It requires 24U pounds of the three things iiecettHury to muke corn, says s writer In the Orungo Judd Kurmrr. Iheve must be taken from the soil. With thu soil In a good physical con-Jition, con-Jition, the. plant food in the most avull-ahlo avull-ahlo form, then It is necessary to have another Important fuctor, aud this one factor Is, a man. In the drier portion of the northwest north-west tho quekllon of how to conserve soil njoisture is one of tho inoht Important Im-portant problems for the farmer to solve. There Is hardly a seanon that somo crop is not reduced from one-fourth one-fourth to one half or Us yield, because be-cause there was not enough moisture to mature It. The soil may have been in good condition, plenty of plant food, In fact, all other conditions condi-tions may have beeu favorable for a good crop, but with an liwurflcient supply of water all or the labor and expense counts for littlu, and In many instances nothing. So the question arises, to what ex tent can the farmer control the aoil water? before be can do this Intelligently Intel-ligently It it necessary for him to know In how many forms soil water exists. Soil water exists In three forms. Cravitational water Is under the direct flow and Is vertically downwsrd until it reaches the ground water surface. sur-face. It moves through the spaces left by decaying roots. Flants do not uso It, but II Is detrimental to most cultivated culti-vated plants when within 18 Inches of the surface. It Is a supply for wells and springs, also the source from which tli capillary water ks drawn. Capillary water does not flow by gravity. It Is the direct source form hlt h plants derive moisture. It may be drawn upward or downward, depending de-pending on whether tho soil Is drier at the surface or below. In dry times the capillary action may be strong euough to raise the water five or six feet, the power depending on how good a physical condition the soil Is In. If In poor condition, coarse and rloddy, and the soil particles not close enough together, then the water cannot can-not rise to take the place of that carried car-ried away by evaporation or ueed by the plant. On the other hand. If the soil Is In good condition and the soli particles close together, then the water wa-ter passes freely to the surface. Notice the track of a home In the plowed field. Moisture Is seen at the surface. Why? liecause the soil particles par-ticles In the track have been pushed close together, and there Is capillary action between them. Tbe moist surface sur-face shows that the water la passing off into thu air. This should teach a lewon. The question Is sometimes asked. What must be done to stop the water from passing off Into the air so that It will pass off through tbn tissues of the plant? Dresk the compact soli by tillage, till-age, and thus break the capillary action ac-tion and stop the water In Its upward course. This rorms a soil mulch. This Is one or the most Important ways or preventing the evaporation of water, because It breaks the capillary pores, and leaves a layer or loose soli between be-tween the air and the moist soil below, so that the wster cannot rise through It. After heavy rains this mulch becomes be-comes compact, capillary action Is restored, re-stored, and capillary pores are connected con-nected directly with It, and evaporation evapora-tion takes place very rapidly. It k necessary to stir the soil after every rain. Hydroscopic water is the liny film of water around each soil particle. A quantity or noil In a room may be dry. U this dry soil Is subjected to a hlish temperature or 105 Centigrade Centi-grade this hydroscopic water Is drawn off The amount varlea from 1 to 12 pr cent, depending on the soil type. The higher per cent. Is round In peaty soil . Flants do not use by-tfrowoplc by-tfrowoplc water. |