THE CALL OF THE LAND 



keep the lid on. Let us examine each of 

 these two desiderata with some care. 



When a field is left to the mere play of 

 the elements, a falling rain may fail to sink 

 into the earth at all or to be of any advan- 

 tage whatever to herbage growing there. 

 Usually it would, if of any volume, do a lit- 

 tle good, but it would at best accomplish 

 but a trifle of the benefit within its power 

 if housed and husbanded. Part would at 

 once run of! into ditches and brooks, another 

 would form into little pools over crusted 

 earth and forthwith evaporate. Still an- 

 other would sink i, 2 or 3 inches, only to be 

 hunted out in a few hours by sun and wind 

 and driven off into the air. The areas of 

 feeble rainfall are always areas of fierce 

 winds and of glaring and ample sunshine, 

 both powerful evaporating agents. 



The U. S. Geological Survey Report to 

 which I have already referred, says, "The 

 amount of water that falls in the arid area 

 is enormous when the number of cubic feet 

 to the square mile is calculated, but much 

 of it comes in very heavy showers, after long 



70 



