TILLING THE SOIL 



59 



end will lie on the table. In a little while the water 

 will be running from the pan out upon the table. In 

 other words, it runs "up-hill," through the cloth, over 

 the edge of the pan, and "down-hill" through the 

 cloth to the table. The water that runs up-hill is 

 capillary water, while that in the pan is free water. 

 The capillary water is being continually supplied from 

 the free water in the pan below. Let us remember that 



A WELL CULTIVATED CORN FIELD. 



it is the capillary water which the plant uses and which 

 is also evaporating from the soil. 



Cultivation Retards Evaporation. We know that if 

 we cover up a kettle it keeps the water from evaporat- 

 ing, "boiling away," as we say. In the same way a 

 blanket, spread over the ^soil, will check the evapora- 



