TREE GROWING ON THE COTEAUX. 477 



tor, and just as the potatoes were coming throii^li the ground it 

 was gone over ag-ain with the Breed's Weeder. Kvery week or ten 

 days after this, they were cultivated with a harrow-toothed Iron Age 

 cultivator. The effect of this thorough cultivation could be seen on 

 the potatoes as well as on the forestrj', some of them yielding at the 

 rate of five hundred bushels per acre. This fall (ISitf)) we turned a 

 furrow towards the tree on each side to furnish more protection to 

 the roots for the winter, plowing very shallow so as not to disturb 

 the roots of the trees. 



A few of the reasons why we believe that sub-soiling and shallow 

 level and frequent cultivation are the proper methods of tilling the 

 soil of southwestern Minnesota: 



Hellsiegel has proven b^'- experiments that a comparatively loose 

 soil is capable of holding fort}- per cent of water, while a compact 

 soil will hold only tvvent}--six per cent of water. Now, on a great 

 many of our prairie farms, we have a firmly compact sub-soil, with 

 quite a firm surface soil, especially directly under the furrow slice, 

 this part being made firmer each year by the tramping of the horses' 

 feet and by the pressing of the plow. I believe that the soil is too 

 firm to hold as much moisture as it would if it were looser, and 

 therefore believe that subsoiling once in, say, three or four years 

 would be quite a help in making it loose so that the water that falls 

 upon it would penetrate it more readily; consequently, there would 

 not be so much evaporation, and the roots of plants would also pen- 

 etrate it much easier. I also believe that the power known as ca- 

 pillary attraction would be freer in its action. (Subsoiling may not 

 have much effect on some crops the first season, for it mig-ht be 

 that it would leave the soil too loose, especially if there were not 

 many rains to settle it together before the growing season). Shal- 

 low, level and frecjuent cultivation keeps a dust blanket on the sur- 

 face of the soil, which prevents the moisture from evaporating. 



By level cultivation we keep less soil from being exposed to the 

 wind and air, and by so doing keep considerable moisture from 

 evaporating. 



A few of the trees that are found growing along the streams and 

 lakes here and a few of them that seem to be doing well on the 

 prairie, are the following: box elder, white ash, red and white elm, 

 water elm, black cherry, white birch, Cottonwood, several varieties 

 of poplars and several varieties of willows. 



A record of the moisture precipitation in inches for the years of 

 189;i, 18U4 and 1895, as given by the Weather Bureau Station, Cam- 

 den, Minn : 



iv.a isw. i8t». 



April (i.'.)6 ;i.95 2.45 



May H.4S 1.31 AAl 



June 2. To 1.08 2.70 



July lost 1.39 2.74 



August 1.38 l.U) 3.CJ6 



September 1.15 3.08 3.80 



15.62 12.81 18.22 



