54 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



CIRCULATION OF WATER IN THE SOIL. 



By 2ilAUD DeW'itt Pearl. 



With the great growth of agricultural science which 

 lias taken place within recent }ears many ideas which 

 have been accepted a priori as settled, have been shown 

 to have little or no basis when investigated experimen- 

 tally. \Mth the recent publication of the results on cir- 

 culation of water in the soil by a Russian, Mr. Rotmis- 

 trov, we are compelled to change our ideas concerning 

 the rise of water from deep layers of soil to the surface 

 by means of capillary attraction. The experiments at 

 the Odessa Experimental Farm were such as to preclude 

 to a very great degree any error in the work. A special 

 Ijorer which prevented pressure out of or into each sam- 

 ple of soil taken, as well as any change in the moisture 

 content of the sample from the time it was obtained until 

 it was tested, was used. Over 60.000 estimates of soil 

 humidity were made covering a period of several years. 



Circulation of moisture in the soil takes place in three 

 directions : upwards, downwards and sidewards. But 

 Mr. Rotmistrov found that the upward movement is very 

 much less than it is ordinarily supposed to be. The field 

 experiments were made under all conditions of soil hu- 

 midity. These were augmented by laboratory experi- 

 ments and similar results obtained. 



The conclusion is reached that it is only when the soil 

 is saturated that there is a rise of water, by means of 

 capillary attraction to the surface, and that this upward 

 movement is ver}' slow indeed and only involves the mois- 

 ture to a certain depth. Below that depth those lavers 

 only loose water upwards which are invaded by the roots 

 of plants. "Thus, if winter wheat be sown in a field un- 

 der black fallow having stored up water in a layer of over 

 two meters ( 6j^2 ft.) there will be found by harvest time 

 an impoverished layer of from 120-130 cm. (about 4 ft.), 

 for this depth is the limit required by the roots of winter 

 wheat for their development." 



There is every indication that when the soil is not 

 saturated but the upper layers are dry and loose, no water 

 comes to the surface in liquid form whatever, but in the 

 form of vapor. This is due to the fact that the spaces be- 

 tween the soil particles are filled with air. Some of the 

 water, as it comes in contact with the air, will vaporize ; 

 the remainder, being heavier than air, will tend to sink 

 deeper into the soil. Increasing the capillary system of 

 the deeper layers of the soil and thus raising the level of 

 moisture nearer to the surface is considered, by the inves- 

 tigator, to be a supposition which experiment will not 

 support. In this connection he brings out a fact which is 

 of value to all agriculturists. When preparing ground 

 for planting, if the soil is non-saturated, rolling it with a 

 sub-soil roller will make conditions much more favorable 

 for the development of the seed. In the rolling process 

 the air is forced out of the spaces between the particles 

 of earth and at the same time a certain amount of mois- 

 ture is forced in. 



In regard to the movement of water downwards, 'Sir. 

 Rotmistrov says: "All data point to one conclusion, viz.. 

 that water percolating beyond a depth of 40-50 cm. (15- 

 20 in.) does not return to the surface except by way of 

 the roots ; all the water not seized by the roots goes down 

 into the deeper layers, moving at the rate of about seven 

 feet yearly." The greatest accumulation of ground 

 water he believes not to be so much from water running 

 in to the deeper soil from hollows, where it has accumu- 

 lated during heavy rainfall, from melting snow, etc., but 

 from soil moisture, which, escaping the grasping roots 

 of vegetation, gradually sinks deeper and deeper into the 

 ■earth. 



Finally, by a series of experiments, Mr. Rotmistrov 



has proved that moisture penetrates horizontally in the 

 soil at the same rate that it penetrates downward. 



SUCCESS IN WOODLAND PLANTING. 



In an article on Private Estate Forestry in the March 

 issue, mention was made of a planting of some sixteen 

 thousand three year old conifers during the latter part 

 of November 1912. Some readers may be interested to 

 know that the losses are practically nil being about one 

 half of one per cent. Of course conditions were excep- 

 tionally favorable. Weather was such that root growth 

 was doubtless made for about two months subsequent to 

 planting and when frost came there was a good covering 

 of snow which continued until late. The soil, too, being 

 naturally well drained on account of its stoniness is not 

 liable to heaving. 



In reference to autumn planting in general of little 

 trees in large numbers where artificial mulching is out 

 of the question, one must use discretion and take all cir- 

 cumstances into consideration. Where soil is clayed or 

 undrained and therefore liable to heave it would not be 

 advisable to plant these kinds of trees at so late a date. 

 The reason why we deferred the planting until the above 

 date was because there was not sufficient moisture in the 

 ground earlier to keep the trees alive and earlier planting 

 would undoubtedly have resulted in considerable loss by 

 drying out. 



The present spring, in spite of the late date on which 

 we could start, has been one of the most favorable for 

 planting which I can remember, and the thirty-five thou- 

 sand young trees set out in their permanent position 

 and fifty-five thousand in the nursery, are looking re- 

 markably well. Trees planted in previous years are put- 

 ting forth very lu.xuriant growth and evidently intend 

 making a considerable step upwards this season. 



With reference to taxation of reforested land, the fol- 

 lowing appears to be the position in the East, so far as I 

 have been able to get information : 



Connecticut — Taxed annually upon the value of land 

 alone, rate not to exceed 10 mills, plus a yield tax of ten 

 per cent, on the value of timber when cut. 



Maine — Xot less than 640 trees to the acre three \-ears 

 after planting, tax exempt for thirty years. 



Nezi< Hampshire — Land planted w'ith at least 1,200 

 trees per acre, tax rebated, first ten years 90 per cent. ; 

 second ten years 80 per cent. ; third ten years 50 per cent. 



Massachusetts — Plantations of not less than 2,000 

 trees to the acre upon land which does not exceed $15.00 

 per acre in value, exempt from ta.xation for ten years 

 after trees have grown four feet. 



Xeti) York — Xot less than 800 trees to the acre, tax 

 e.xempt for thirty-five years. 



Pennsylfania — Tax e.xemption for reforested land now 

 before the legislature. 



Rhode Island — Land not worth more than $25.00 per 

 acre and planted not less than 500 to the acre, tax exempt 

 for fifteen years. 



J'cnnont — Reforested land ta.x e.xempt for ten years. 



.Arthur Smith. 



HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



"Think happy thoughts, O friend, in sunny weather! 



'Tis easier when the skies are deep and blue. 

 Let thy heart and the robin's sing together. 



And thy clear eyes be tranquil as the dew. 

 So rich a store of memories thou shalt gather. 



So tranquil grow thy spirit and thy brain. 

 That when the winds blow fog and stormy weather 



Thou shalt have sunshine though the earth have 

 rain." — Selected. 



