CAMPBELL'S SOIL CULTURE MANUAL 109 



which is not held in film form, to drain out into the grad- 

 uate. Measuring carefully the amount from each glass, 

 we find to our surprise that the fine shot retains nearly 

 thirteen times as much water as the coarse shot. Here 

 we have a practical demonstration of how the water- 

 holding capacity of the soil is increased by finely pulver- 

 izing and making it firm, a condition most favorable for 

 the movement of moisture by capillary attraction and the 

 most perfect development of roots, both of which sub- 

 jects have been taken up in detail in other chapters. 



The shot, before it was put into the glasses, was care- 

 fully weighed on fine druggists' scales to be sure that we 

 had the same quantity. As you see, both glasses are filled 

 to the same height with the coarse and fine shot and both 

 glasses are of the same size. 



WATER AND SOIL CONDITIONS. 



The great question which bears so largely upon the 

 quantity and quality of all crops is that of water in suffi- 

 cient available quantities at all times. Nothing has more 

 to do with this than the mechanical or physical condi- 

 tion of the soil. The deeper the soil is stirred and yet 

 made fine and firm, the greater is our ability to guard 

 against the shortage of water at some critical time. To 

 plow deeply and leave the under portion lumpy and loose 

 is a very objectionable condition with which to approach 

 a dry period, and as experience has shown, no one knows 

 when such a time may occur. Therefore, for safety, the 

 lower portion of the furrow must be made fine and com- 

 pect, as deep as plowed. 



Many thinking men, from a theoretical standpoint, 

 insist that the soil of the prairies must be loosened up 

 deeply to let the water down. This is not essential in 

 the least, providing the soil is moist a foot or so below the 



