90 



WATER IN SOILS 



operation which prevents the formation of the crust and stops 

 evaporation will also be effective in causing the water to penetrate 

 a little deeper into the soil where it may be saved for use of the 

 crop during dry weather. It may thus be seen that if the harrow 

 or cultivator be used at the proper time it accomplishes two 

 important purposes in the saving of soil moisture. 



Ridging up the surface causes it to lose water more rapidly 

 because the exposure to the air is much greater (Fig. 69). 



Cover Crops. If hillsides are constantly clothed with growing 

 crops there will be less soil erosion. The water and the soil which 

 would both be wasted are held by such cover crops. The roots of 





FIG. 69. The practice of ridging the soil, for certain crops, tends to make it lose water more 

 rapidly than if the planting is in the level surface. (New Jersey Station.) 



the cover crop allow water to enter the soil more readily. The soil 

 will thus take up much more water and take it more quickly than 

 if the ground were bare. This drinking in of the water is made 

 more rapid also by the mellow condition of the surface soil. A 

 cover crop prevents the surface from baking or becoming crusty. 

 During a heavy rain the soil is not packed by the heavy patter of 

 rain drops, because of the protection given to the surface by the 

 growing cover. 



The most important time for having a cover crop upon any 

 hillside field is during the rainy season. The use of winter cover 

 crops which are started in late summer, before the main crops are 

 harvested, is practiced in modern farm management, and should 



