60 SECOND THOUSAND QUESTIONS IN AGRICULTURE 



You could reduce the accumulation of water in the low spots by 

 filling them up to grade in fact that is the proper thing to do in prepara- 

 tion of the land for irrigated alfalfa whether there is alkali or not 

 because alfalfa will be killed out if the soil is heavy enough to hold the 

 water too long. If the spots are alkaline you should first underdrain 

 them to get rid of alkali, or it will rise later through your filling and 

 make that alkaline also. Plowing in coarse stuff, before filling in, will 

 help to keep down the alkali. 



Subsoiling in Orchard. 



/ am thinking of doing some subsoiling. The trees are 26 feet 

 apart and I would not go closer to the row than 8 feet. I plan to put 

 three furrows from 16 to 20 inches deep down between the rows of 

 trees. The ground has been irrigated for the last 10 or 12 years 

 and when you get down seven or eight inches it is very hard. The 

 trees look well. Would it injure the trees to run those furrows so 

 deep and cutting the roots? 



You may anticipate benefit rather than injury. You can open a way 

 for rainfall to the lower soil about as well with two deep furrows as 

 with three and this would enable you to begin your experiment by keep- 

 ing 10 feet away from the tree row. If you wish to be still more 

 cautious run the furrows one way this year and the other way next year. 

 Start in anyway, and be bold or cautious according to the amount of 

 root cutting you find yourself doing. 



Cultivation of Sandy Soil. 



/ have a peach orchard on "blow sand" in Merced county. I liai'e 

 given instruction to cultivate every two zueeks, but my man objects 

 that turning up moist sand loses moisture. 



Sandy soil which is gotten into loose condition need not be disturbed 

 by cultivation so long as that friable condition is not interfered with 

 and so long as weeds do not grow. It would certainly be undesirable to 

 use any form of disk or cultivator which turned up moist soil to the air, 

 but on loose sandy soils there is sometimes a firm, evaporating surface 

 formed at a little depth and not on the immediate surface, as is the 

 case with heavy soils. When this takes place there is a loss of moisture 

 by evaporation into the dry air which readily penetrates the granular 

 covering to the crusting place below. To prevent this the soil should be 

 stirred by a narrow straight-toothed harrow or a disk set upright so 

 that there may be pulverization to a depth of five or six inches without 

 turning moist soil up to the air. If you are sure that the cultivated 

 layer remains loose to a satisfactory depth, it need not be stirred. But 

 be careful that a loose layer on top does not deceive you. 



Soil Crust Dries Out. 



/ planted 80 acres of Egyptian corn on land which can not be 

 irrigated. The soil is a rich mellow loam and does not. crack open. 



