Conserving Soil Moisture. ID 3 



will break up thu crust by crumbling down the ridges and 

 lumps and at the same time develop a true and effective 

 mulch. The light harrow, when driven across the ridges, 

 may be effective in 'breaking up the crust and in develop- 

 ing a mulch. 



In sub-humid climates, such as that of western Kansas, 

 fields seeded permanently to alfalfa have been, in the 

 very early spring, gone over with the disk harrow and 

 then crossed with the spike-tooth harrow, thus developing 

 a very effective mulch which materially increases the yield. 



226. Mulches Not Made From Soil. While it is true that 

 most conservation of moisture must be through earth 

 mulches it should be understood that all vegetation growing 

 upon the ground, whether it completely covers the surface 

 or not, exerts a protective influence and diminishes the 

 loss of moisture directly from the soil itself. This pro- 

 tection comes partly from shading, partly from diminish- 

 ing the wind velocity and partly from the saturation of 

 the air with moisture by the transpiration from the grow- 

 ing plants. 



Even in pastures where the grass is short, but close, the 

 mulching effect is strong and hence it is not in the direc- 

 tion of economy to allow the feeding to be too close, not 

 only because the growth of the grass is slower from too 

 severe destruction of the foliage, but because there is a 

 greater loss of soil moisture besides that passing through 

 the grass. 



The surface dressing of meadows with farmyard manure, 

 thoroughly harrowed to spread it evenly over the ground, 

 is extremely beneficial through its mulching effect as well 

 as in the plant food it brings to the soil. When such 

 dressings are applied in the winter and early spring and 

 spread over the surface while the soil is yet wet beneath, 

 the saving in soil moisture is greatest and in the case of 

 meadows where the clover has disappeared, for any rea- 

 son, such a dressing may make it possible to get a new 

 seeding, by sowing the clover broadcast before the frost 



