Show HOLD SOIL MOISTURE STURE stir surface and prevent packing to accomplish purpose universally known that loose doll well wall stirred retains water far moro more successfully iss fully than when whan r packed by rains every year there la is some addition made to tho me sum bum total of the expert enco ence that farmers over the country have had in the matter of treating corn in the way that Is the most moist suo k in a session of severe drought this knowledge of the general sub jcck of cultivating crops cropo in seasons ot of drought prompts up to date farmers to keep khop tho the surface of the soil eoll constantly pt stirred up tip and loose as long as the weather continues dry says a kansas writer in the farm progress it Is now universally known that tho th soil with the surface kept loose and well stirred retains moisture far more successfully than where it la Is packed solid by the heating beating of rains or other cause if anyone antono has never had a demonstration of how the moisture mola escapes from the earth by evaporation will vill take a strong magnifying glass giant and look at the dry hard earth whore a piece Is in broken off and shows a fresh surface Bur faco he will see the fine little capillaries capil laries or tubes through which the water escapes from the earth to tc the air when the earth Is drying rap idly so long as aa tho the capil capillaries laries are open from wh ere they start at varying depths down la in tho the soil eoll up to the surface tho moisture will continue to pass up through and escape dul bu if the outface la in broken up in an any y way say by plowing oi or harrowing end and all the capillaries capil laries tire are broken oft off the moisture mols turo that starts from below will bo be stopped near the surface where the capillaries capil laries latles aro are broken off this la is tho the simple explanation of the earth mulch which la Is universally known as aa a conservator conee mitor of moisture and it explains why the hard packed surface are always the drnest when rainfall is abundant no spa pe cial care need be ba token taken to conserve conser Te the moisture in the soil for the use of the crops but as soon as aa it seems tin im that there will be serious drought it it has not net been already i done the surfaces eur facea in all crops whore where it can be done ought to bo be thoroughly stirred but not to a greater depth than two or three c inches and it should turn turne edah dover over as little as aa possible that is tho the lop surface already moderately dried out should remain on top to keep ke p the moisture in the lay ei r below belov it an aa it t la Is no as long its a possible this la is a dimple thins thing to do but it has been found to nave mare crops that would otherwise have been dried up end entirely rely without this precaution this thia method of 0 conserving moisture which constitutes the basic principle of profitable farming in the semiarid semi arid region has not had bad as aa much attention in the humid parts of the country asit as it deserves As a rule the camers who grow general crops and besides small grain and grave grafts raise corn com potatoes and tobit tobacco cco have never RS an a rule seemed to bo be much impressed with any scheme to conserve moisture cultivation has been done mainly to keep kap the soil loose and keep down the weeds and grass but many are using this method now mainly for the purpose of keeping tho the moisture within reach of the plants roots and it is often the case that a crop ahal that would without the conserving of the mols mois ture cure practically is thus kept going until abundant rainfall comes and finally makes a fair crop when any hoed crop is kept clean and the soil stirred sufficiently to preserve what moisture is needed to keep it in vigorous condition till rain cornea comes it to is quite often the case that all the vigor of the tha plant is then thrown into the fruiting and the yield of grain will be moto more than was expected and far more than growth of stalk seems beema to justify the hope of |