COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. i05 



water level, or runs into a drain and is carried away. As the surface of 

 the ground dries after rain the moisture in the lower layers rises to the 

 top in the same manner as oil rises in a lamp-wick by the capillary 

 action of the very small holes, or pores, with which it is crowded. This 

 suckling up of the water from below will go on until the whole of tho 

 water in the soil has reached the surface and dried off into the air, and 

 we have then a condition of drought. If we can break the connections 

 between the tiny pores of the soil, we can stop this upward flow of water. 

 This breakage is very easily brought about by cultivation. All that 18 

 needed is that tho surface layer of soil should be kept in a loose and 

 granular condition so that there are large air spaces between the par- 

 ticles. The water cannot rise through large air spaces, with the result 

 that althougn the loo^e surface becomes dry the rise of water from 

 the soil below is stopped and no more water is lost by evaporation. 

 Many people believe that by keeping the surface of the ground hard 

 and well stamped do»vu the soil moisture is prevented from escaping, 

 as though stamping the ground were equivalent to locking the door of 

 tho soil, but the truth is just the opposite. By pressing the earth hard, 

 the particles are brought very close together, the tiny pores in each 

 lump are made to join those in the next and a continuous channel of 

 small pores is made foi the water to rise in and reach the surface, and 

 once it reaches the surface the sun and wind soon dry it off and it :s 

 lost. It is only by separating the soil particles and thus breaking tho 

 channels leading to the surface that the escape of moisture is prevented. 



Now we uee that a loose surface does good in two ways. It allows 

 rain water to soak easily into the soil instead of running off at the 

 surface and it prevents this rain water being sucked up again and lost 

 by drying in the sun and wind. 



Other methods of preventing evaporation of soil moisture are also 

 practised. By spreading, a layer of any loose material, such as straw, 

 leaves, prunings, etc., we get the same efftct as if we have a layer of 

 loose earth. The moisture rises to the surface of the ground, but can- 

 not rise through the large air spaces of the straw or other loose material, 

 and so is not lost by evaporation. This practice is known as mulching, 

 aud although at times very useful it is not so effective as a layer of 

 loose earth. 



Coconut husks can be usefully employed as a mulch round newly 

 planted trees. Young trees are more sensitive than old ones to lack of 

 moisture owing to their less extensive root development, and it is a 

 good plan to cover the ground around them to a distance of 3 or 4 feet 

 with husks' placed close together. They must, however, be carefully 

 laid so as to cover the ground completely, and any grass or weeds which 

 grow up between them must be at once removed, 



