INCREASING WATER CAPACITY 



217 



than sudden showers in soaking up the soil. On the 

 other hand, if the soil is loose and porous, all the water 

 which is applied sinks into the soil and may percolate 

 deeply. It is this condition which should be maintained. 

 Correlated with the loose surface soil is the rough surface 

 maintained in level sections of strong winds, where 

 a considerable part of the precipitation falls as snow. 

 A rough surface holds the snow against blowing, and 

 upon melting in the spring it enters the soil. 



The moisture taken up by the soil should be retained 

 and conserved by appropriate cultivation. It will be 

 apparent from the principles which have been outlined 

 that all soils may not be managed in the same way, 

 to increase their moisture capacity. In some the end 

 is accomplished by loosening the structure, and in others 

 by compacting the structure. Cultivation, the roller, 

 the subsoil plow, or fall plowing, are to be adopted 

 in so far as they accomplish the desired result on the 

 particular soil in hand. The opposite effect of the same 

 treatment on different soils is shown by the following 

 figures. 



Table XXXVIII 



