PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 101 



they contain. If for any reason this amount is not available, the crop will 

 be cut short. It is said that, even in the so-called moist climate of Eng- 

 land, a year seldom passes wlaen the crops would not at some time during 

 their growth be benefited by more moisture. From this can be seen the 

 necessity of securing for the crops as much as possible of the water that 

 falls. 



Among other sources of loss is the evaporation that takes place from the 

 surface. It has been found that this can be lessened if a mulch of some 

 kind can be provided for the surface. While straw, marsh hay, or any- 

 similar waste materials are of value for holding the water, they have the 

 disadvantage of drawing the roots to the surface, and as a result the plants 

 are likely to be injured in a cold winter. On the other hand, a mulch 

 composed of loose soil answers just as well to hold the water, while the 

 roots remain in the moist soil at some distance below the surface. The 

 soil mulch can be maintained throughout the season if the surface of the 

 soil is stirred to the depth of two inches at intervals during the summer. 



With many farmers the main idea in cultivating is to kill the weeds, but 

 although this should be considered it should not be the prime object. 

 Weeds are commonly understood to be plants out of place, or those for 

 which no use has been discovered. From whichever standpoint they are 

 considered, farmers have for a long time understood that a failure might 

 be expected if they were allowed to grow. The real nature of the injury 

 that weeds cause has until recently not been well understood, and even 

 now the tillage that is given by most persons, instead of being based upon 

 rational grounds, is intended only to keep down the weeds. The old idea 

 that the principal injury from weeds was in shading and crowding the 

 other plants, thus depriving them of air and light and robbing them of 

 some of the food that would otherwise be available, is correct only in part. 

 Added to this, and of even greater injury, they take up large quantities 

 of water and thus deprive the crop of the means of securing the plant food 

 that may be available. The grain farmer also suffers from the injury 

 resulting from the presence of foul seed in his soil, while the man who neg- 

 lects the proper cultivation of his hill and drill crops, and allows the weeds 

 to grow, will find that he has another evil to contend against, due to the 

 rapid evaporation of the water from the soil. 



If one is to till his soil merely for the purpose of killing weeds and pre- 

 venting the loss that will result if they are allowed to grow, the work 

 should certainly be done before they have reached any size. Just after 

 they have germinated, as they are pushing their way out through the soil, 

 the weeds are very delicate, and the least disturbance of the surface will 

 be suflBcient to destroy them, while, if left for a few days and allowed to 

 become established, they can only be subdued by several deep workings 

 of the soil, and even then some of them that have obtained a firm hold in 

 the soil may not be destroyed. 



Even if the soil is entirely free from weeds, frequent tillage should be 

 the rule. If the surface soil is frequently stirred, so that it is kept light 

 and open, the evaporation of water will be greatly decreased. After a rain 

 the general course of the water in the soil is downward, impelled both by 

 gravity and capillary attraction. As soon as the rain ceases and evapora- 

 tion from the surface begins, an upward movement commences, the water 

 passing from a moist particle to the drier one above, that has given off 

 part of its moisture. This is due to the adhesion of the water to the soil 

 particles and the tendency to establish an equilibrium. When the soil has 



