THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



by tillage, so that the capillarity is broken, but 

 little of the soil moisture comes to the surface, 

 and evaporation is not great. In this way 

 nearly all the moisture remains in the soil, 

 where it can be used by the plants. 



5. Thorough tillage has a tendency to cause 

 deeper rooting of the plants. The surface of 

 the soil is made drier by tillage, during the 

 early part of the season, than it would other- 

 wise be; hence the roots go where the soil is 

 moist. The advantage of deep rooting during 

 drought is obvious. 



The relation of plant food and moisture to 

 the welfare of crops, and the influence of till- 

 age thereon, should, perhaps, receive some fur- 

 ther attention. Doubtless all farm crops not 

 excepting the tree fruits suffer more from 

 lack of moisture than they do from lack of 

 plant food in the soil. All of the nourishment 

 which the plant gets from the soil is taken in 

 solution, and unless there is an abundance of 

 soil moisture to dissolve the mineral plant 

 foods, it is evident that their presence in the 



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