192 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



AVERAGE MOISTURE IN OAT PLOTS, NO. 8. 



In the above table the average for the fall plowed for the first two dates in 16.09 

 per cent, and, for the spring plowed 16.15 per cent, or practically the same. For the 

 last two dates the average for the fall prowed is 14.33 per cent, and for the spriag 

 plowed 12.44 per cent. Here is a marked difference in favor of the fall plowed land, 

 a difference evidently much greater after the middle of May than before. 



In the Wisconsin Report of 1891. on page 102. a record is made of two determina- 

 tions of moisture on fall plowed clover sod and unplowed corn ground. Samples 

 were takpu May 14th and au average difference of .77 per cent of moisture to a depth 

 of three feet was found in favor of the fall plowed land. Prof. King, who tried 

 the experiment, says that the fall plowing was done very late and on clover sod. 

 On these accounts the rain had not had the chance to establish good capillary con- 

 nections with the undisturbed soil, and hence it was acting as a much better mulch 

 than sTubblo ground would have made, or than the same ground had it been plowed 

 earlier in the season so that the fall rains could have helped join the two together. 



EFFECT OF EARLY PLOWING ON THE RETENTION OF SOIL MOISTURE. 



Two tests were made of this question in Field No. 6. The plowing was done May 

 2d. Samples were taken for determination of moisture on May 10th and 17th, with 

 the following results: 



This gives a difference in the first instance of 2.8 pounds per square foot to a 

 depth of three feet and of 1.4 pounds in the second instance, in favor of the land 

 plowed early in the spring. 



Experiments tried by Prof. King and reported in the Wisconsin Report for 1891. 

 pages 101 and 102. sliow Iara:er differences. The plowing was done Ai)ril 29th and 

 samples taken May 6th showing a difference for the upper three feet of 7.02 pounds 

 of water per square foot. On another plot the observed difference of the samples 

 taken May 14th to the same depth was 4.65 pounds. 



These determinations all show that to have as large a supply of moisture as possi- 

 ble for the crop it is necessary to plow or work the soil in some way to form a 

 mulch to prevent evaporation as early in the spring as the condition of the land will 

 allow. 



