138 Agricultural Department. [Bulletin 121 



soil were swept away from many fields. Some of this soil was de- 

 posited again on other fields, but much of the fine sediment and all 

 of the soluble plant-food was swept into the Missouri and thence on- 

 ward to the sea. The sanding was also the direct result of washing. 



It was observed that the cultivated fields were the ones which were 

 cut up by the water, while lands which were in grass and alfalfa were 

 not usually damaged by washing. Grass or alfalfa served as a pro- 

 tection to the land, and although the crop itself may have been de- 

 stroyed, the loss of the crop was small compared to the protection 

 afforded by the crop to the soil. 



Only a small fraction of the land in the valleys damaged by the 

 flood was seeded to grass or alfalfa and often the fields were tilled and 

 planted with annual crops almost to the river's edge. A large part of 

 the low-lying land in the river bends and bordering the river might 

 profitably be kept in grasses or alfalfa much of the time, thus in- 

 suring protection to the soil in case floods should again occur. 



CROPS AFTER THE FLOOD. Plate XIII shows a field of sorghum 

 cut for fodder on the farm of Mr. Fred Moehlman, in Moehlman bot- 

 tom, south of Manhattan. This field was planted about July 20. 

 Corn planted after the flood made an excellent growth of stalks and 

 usually matured a good crop of ears. Many fields of Kafir-corn also 

 matured seed, while sufficient sorghum and Kafir-fodder was pro- 

 duced throughout the flooded districts to provide roughage for win- 

 tering the stock. 



