38 SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



tion with the subsoil is broken. Surface cultivation 

 should be from two to three inches deep, and the finer 

 the condition in which the surface soil is left, the better. 

 Shallow surface cultivation does not mean that the soil 

 should not be previously well prepared by thorough cul- 

 tivation. It can be practiced in connection with deep 

 plowing, shallow plowing, subsoiling, or rolling ; in fact, 

 it can be combined with any method of treating the 

 land, and is an effectual means of conserving soil mois- 

 ture. The following example shows the, extent to which 

 shallow surface cultivation may conserve the soil water : 14 



29. Cultivation after a Rain. When evaporation 

 takes place immediately after a rain, not only is there 

 a loss of the water which has fallen, but there may 

 also be a loss of the subsoil water by translocation, if 

 nothing be done to prevent. 13 After a rain, soils should 

 be cultivated as soon as the implements will work well, 

 so as to check evaporation and prevent the formation 

 of a crust. The following example shows the extent 

 to which the subsoil water may be brought to the 

 surface : 14 



