DRY-FARMING 



Free Water or Well Water. 



It is well known that all fertile soils 

 contain many tons of water, which is 

 usually present in three forms as (a) free 

 water or well water, (b) film water or 

 capillary water, and (c) hygroscopic 

 water. 



Free water is frequently called well 

 water, ground water, standing water, or 

 first water. It comes to the surface in 

 the form of springs, and is usually the 

 source of the supply of wells. If you dig 

 a hole in any ground, you will generally 

 strike water at a certain depth, which 

 may be several inches or many feet below 

 the surface. This point is termed the 

 "water-table." Now the surface of the 

 water-table follows, roughly, the general 

 contour of the land; that is, it stands 

 highest where the ground is highest, and 

 lowest where the land is lowest. In dig- 

 ging wells, therefore, the farmer must take 



