464 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



the location of the soil, its character, its composition, its texture 

 and the kind and character of crops all exert an influence, and 

 while the principles as pointed out must be understood, the judg- 

 ment of the farmer must be exercised in using the various methods 

 that may be suggested, iu order that they may apply to the best 

 advantage in his particular case. 



What is Meant by Tillage. 



In the first place, tillage results in conserving moisture, that is, 

 tillage, while ordinarily performed for the sake of getting the land 

 in condition to receive the seed, and for the sake of removing or 

 preventing the development of foreign growths, may be carried out 

 in such a way as to accomplish oot only these objects, the primary 

 purpose in the minds of many, but also to accomplish great things 

 in preventing useless loss of moisture, and thus result in providing 

 the plants with their normal requirements. Tillage consists ordi- 

 oarily in plowing, cultivating, harrowiog and rolling, and each of 

 these operations may be so directed as to needlessly waste soil moist- 

 use, or to couser^'e it. Just how plowing has an influence in con- 

 serving soil moisture is readily understood when we remember that 

 the moisture contained in the lower layers of the soil escapes at the 

 surface of the soil by meaos of small holes or tubes formed by opea- 

 iugs between the particles; in the process of plowing these openings 

 or tubes are broken and the escape of the moisture from below, if not 

 prevented altogether, is considerably retarded until sufficient time 

 has elapsed to form the connection again with the surface. There- 

 fore, it makes a great difference in plowing whether the furrow is 

 thrown in a solid mass or whether when the furrow is turned 

 the soil breaks into fine particles so that the entire surface is really 

 a mass of separate soil particles. In the first case, the soil remaining 

 solid the connection between the surface and the lower layers of soil 

 is readily made, while in the second the loose mass of soil particles 

 prevents a ready connection, considerable time must elapse before 

 the capillary tubes join the surface with the lower laj'ers. Natu- 

 rally, the moisture contained in the soil turned by the plow will be 

 liable to escape more rapidly than before, because the freshly turned 

 surface is immediately presented to those natural agencies, namely, 

 air and warmth, which are potent in drawing out and carrying it 

 away. Nevertheless, the great reservoirs lying underneath are proof 

 against these forces, in proportion as they are protected by the com- 

 pleteness or incompleteness of the soil mulch made in the process 

 of plowing. 



