442 



Some effects produced by rolling ground, F. H. King (pp. 

 120-133).— This is a report of observations made in 1889 at the station 

 by the author and in different parts of the State by six of the students 

 in agriculture at the University of Wisconsin. The subjects treated 

 were: the effects of rolling on soil temperature; rate of evaporation; 

 germination of seeds of oats, clover, peas, barley, and grass; and yield 

 Ijer acre of oats. 



The followiiig summary is taken from the report: 



(1) Rolling laud makes the temperature of the soil at 1.5 inches below the surface 

 from 1"^ to 9° Fah. warmer than similar unrolled ground in the same locality, aud at 



3 inches from 1° to G° warmer. 



(2) Rolling laud by firming the soil increases its power of drawing water to the 

 surface from below, aud this influence has been observed to extend to a depth of 3 to 



4 feet. 



(3) The evaporation of moisture is m'ore rapid from rolled than from unrolled 

 grouud, unless the surface soil is vex-y wet, aud then the reverse is true, and the dry- 

 ing effect of rolling has been found to extend to a depth of 4 feet. 



(4) In cases of broadcast seeding, germiuation is more rapid aud more complete on 

 rolled than on unrolled ground, aud the followiug differences in the completeness 

 of germination have been observed: for oats. 4.2, 41.0, and 11.35 per cent; for peas, 

 35.7 per cent; for barley, 10.3, and for clover 1.2 per cent and 68.7 per cent greater 

 on the rolled than on unrolled ground. These differences are greatest when dry 

 weather, aud least when copious rain follows seeding. 



(5) In the experiment on oats, reported in full, the yields per acre stood, 61.12 

 bushels on the rolled ground and 58.89 bushels on the unrolled ground- 



(6) The size of the kernels was larger on the rolled than ou the unrolled ground. 



(7) The oats from the rolled ground weighed 28.35 pounds per bushel aud those 

 from the unrolled 26.32 pounds per bushel. 



(8) The oats from the rolled contained at the time of cutting 11.60 per cent of 

 water aud those from the unrolled grouud 11.31 per cent. 



(9) The observed effects of rolling on the yield and quality of the oats stand as 

 isolated cases, and the observations must be reiJeated before general conclusions can 

 be safely drawn. 



Soil water, F. H, King (pp. 134-162). 



Translocation of capillary soil water (pp. 134-139). — In his study of soil 

 moisture the author has found, ''on several occasions, that the distribu- 

 tion of water in the soil changes f^t times quite rapidly, so that one 

 stratum has gained in water content at the expense of a contiguous 

 one, and this redistribution of water may be conveniently designated 

 ' translocation.' 



" The translocation of soil water is occasioned in at least two ways, 

 namely, (1) by changing the porosity of a given stratum of soil ; (2) by 

 changing the amount of water a given stratum of soil contains." Firm- 

 ing the surface soil by rolling draws water up from beneath. Eaina 

 also frequently give rise to a translocation of water. This is illustrate(^ 

 by accounts of observations made by the author on samples of soil takeu 

 at different depths before and after a rain or artificial sprinkling, from 

 which it ai)peared that there was a marked decrease in the amount of 

 water in the subsoil when the surface soil was wet. These observatiooa 



