85 

 SAVING SOIL WATER. 



BY M. SUMNER PERKINS. 



The quantity of water which falls in summer rains and 

 showers, is utterly insufficient to grow and mature field 

 crops. What then is the source of the main supply of 

 moisture, conceding the fact, that the rain actually falling 

 upon these crops is entirely inadequate to meet their 

 needs ? 



The primary and fundamental source of moisture is 

 found in the soil Avater. The soil is practically a reser- 

 voir, which is continually receiving and storing water dur- 

 ing the fall, winter and spring months, and it is this soil 

 watei-, upon which we mainly depend to bring our crops to 

 maturity. 



Therefore it is of great importance that we do all we 

 possibly can to conserve or save this soil water, preventing, 

 as far as can be, its needless waste and exhaustion. Few 

 of us have opportunities to irrigate crops during periods 

 of drought ; but we all can practice some simple rules for 

 the retention of the soil water. 



EARLY PLOUGHING. 



Early ploughing may be first mentioned as an effective 

 means of saving soil moisture, and as a consequence, ren- 

 dering the soil better able to carry the crops through 

 periods of prolonged droughts. We all know, that hard, 

 solid earth, evaporates and loses its moisture much more 

 rapidly than earth loosened and made light and porous by 

 the plough. Therefore it may be regarded as a fact, that 

 the sooner all farming land is ploughed in the spring, after 

 it becomes dry enough to work well, the better the chances 

 this same land will have to withstand the droughts, which 

 are most liable to occur sometime during the season. 

 Plough early and harrow down finely, no matter if the 



