Conserving Soil Moisture. 



201 



save moisture from going to waste, both by evaporation 

 and by percolation, but it may save plant food from loss 

 in the drainage waters. 



Yet, while due diligence should be exercised in timely 

 planting and sowing, there is danger of too great haste and 

 it will generally be better to make the mistake of getting 

 the crop in a little late rather than too early. The soil 

 should by all means be warm enough and dry enough to 

 make germination prompt and vigorous, for otherwise weak 

 and sickly plants will result, if the seed does not rot in 

 the ground. 



236. Danger From Green Manuring. In the practice of 

 growing cover-crops, and in green manuring, attention 

 must always be given to the effect these have upon the soil 

 moisture, as related to the crop which is to follow. When 

 either rye or clover is used in green manuring, and the 

 plants are allowed to make a heavy growth before plowing 

 under, the soil will be found very much dryer than if the 

 field had been plowed and tilled early but left naked, or 

 even if not plowed at all. The next table demonstrates 

 the truth of this statement, showing, as it does, the strong 

 drying effect of clover as early as May 13. 



Table showing the drying effect upon the soil of a green ma- 

 nure crop. 



In such a case as this, with the soil as dry when plowed 

 as that under the clover, not only would there be daniivr 

 of the seed not germinating properly but the large growth 

 of herbage, when plowed under, would so much cut off 

 the capillary connection with the deeper soil moisture that 



