62 



we have in the West, if not in the country, in 1895 pub- 

 lished a book entitled "The Soil," which book should be 

 in the hands of every farmer. In treating the question 

 of the effect of rolling on soil moisture, he says: 



"When, however, the changes in the water contents 

 of the surface four feet of soil which follow the use of a 

 heavy roller are studied, it is found that we have here a 

 case of the translocation of soil moisture, a case where 

 by destroying the many large non-capillary pores in the 

 surface soil, and bringing its grains more closely together, 

 its water-lifting power is increased and to such an extent 

 that often within twenty-four hours after rolling the 

 upper one or two feet beneath the firm ground have come 

 to contain more moisture than similar and immediately 

 adjacent land does at the same level, while the lower two 

 feet have become dryer. Water has been lifted from the 

 lower into the upper soil. 



"In the table below will be seen the difference in the 

 water contents of the soils which have been rolled and 

 the immediately adjacent ones not so treated. These 

 results are averages derived from one hundred and forty- 

 seven sets of samples, therefore not a conclusion of theroy, 

 but one of fact, from continued repeated practical results: 



Per cent of water 



"Surface 36 to 54 inches, unrolled, contained 19.73 

 Surface 36 to 54 inches, rolled, contained 18.72 



Loss by rolling 1.01 



Surface 24 to 36 inches, unrolled, contained 19.85 

 Surface 24 to 36 inches, rolled, contained 19.29 



Loss by rolling 56 



Surface 2 to 18 inches, rolled, contained 16.85 

 Surface 2 to 18 inches, unrolled, contained 15.64 



Gain by rolling 1 .21" 



