Show cultivation OF THE TOPSOIL numerous investigations demonstrate that evaporation of water has deen been diminished that the stirring or cultivation ot of the topsoil really does doea diminish evaporation of water from tile tho soil boll has beon been shown by nuni numerous orous investigations in 1 1868 found that during daring six weeks of an ordinary german Gernia ii summer a stirred soil boll lost grams grama of water per square toot foot while the adjoining compacted soil eoll lost 1680 grams grama a saving due to cultivation ot nearly GO 60 per cent wagner testing the tha correct work found in 1874 that cultivation reduced the evaporation a little more than GO per cent johnson in 1878 confirmed the truth of at the principle on american soils eolla and iehl stockbridge working about the same dame time also on american soils eolla found foland that cultivation diminished evaporation on a clay soil about 23 per cent and on a heavy loam nearly 13 per cent all the early work done on this subject was done under humid conditions and it Is only in recent years that confirmation fir ot of this important principle has been obtained for the soils of the dry farm region fortier Fort ler working under Call california forn la conditions determined that cultivation reduced the evaporation from tho the soil surface over 65 55 per cent at the utah station similar experiments have shown that the saving paying ot of soil boll moisture mol aturo by cultivation was 63 per cent for clay soil bol 34 per cent for a coaree sand and 13 per cent for a clay loam further practical experience has demonstrated time and time again that in cultivation the dry former farmer has a powerful powei tul ful means of preventing evaporation from agricultural solta |