H4 Our Farming. 



to properly take care of our crops. Light showers and even 

 quite heavy ones in the summer only wet down a few inches ; but 

 during the wet weather of spring and fall, and at other times when 

 there is much rain, the water works down through the soil and 

 subsoil. There it is stored, way down below the surface, in vast 

 quantities. We sink a well down to get water to use. In a very 

 dry time we hear of wells getting low and even failing. Down 

 below, then, is the great store-house for water, and this is what 

 we draw on for our crops in a dry time. Does not tile draining, 

 or any draining, diminish this supply ? you may ask. Somewhat, 

 of course. In a previous chapter I told you that Col. Brigham 

 said draining had affected the shallow wells in his -county. It 

 must also diminish somewhat the quantity of surplus water that 

 can be drawn on in a dry time. Regular tile draining of large 

 areas must give less water in the earth beneath to draw on in case 

 of a very long-continued drouth. But still enough will work 

 down by the drains to answer all ordinary purposes. I should 

 not be at all slow to drain on this account. Right here you may 

 see an objection to surface drainage. It not only carries fertility 

 off, but gives the subsoil, deep down, little chance to fill up with 

 water. I am exceedingly careful on my farm to hold the water, 

 and let it soak down, so as to lay up all I can for a dry time. The 

 level culture helps about this, but particularly so does a growing 

 crop on a field during the winter, rather than bare stubble. No 

 water much can flow off of my clover with clippings on the 

 surface, or with the second crop harrowed down to plow under in 

 the spring. A depression east of my house used to fill up with 

 water always in the early spring and often in the fall, the water 

 running down the hills around. Now it never does. I hold the 

 water where it falls and make it soak down. 



But now we have a good lot accumulated below how does 

 the crop get it ? We drain the land to get rid of the surplus in 

 the surface two or three feet deep that would injure us-^how do 

 we draw on the supply below when needed ? Roots go down to 

 it to some extent, but what is known as capillary attraction 

 gradually brings this moisture to the surface. This force is of 

 wonderful value to the farmer and he needs to fully understand it 

 in order to make it his servant. You dip the lower end of a 

 sponge in water and it becomes wet all through . When I was a 

 boy I used to study capillary attraction by dipping a piece of loaf- 

 sugar in water just a little and watch it rise up. This experiment 

 always ended in my mouth. The oil is brought up to the flame 

 in your lamp in just the same way through the wick. Dry earth 

 set in water at the bottom will slowly moisten up. The water 

 rises through what are called the capillary tubes. These need not 

 be straight at all any more than in the sugar or lamp-wick. This 

 is a grand provision of nature that makes water able to and 

 obliged to rise above its source among the particles of soil. 



