94 TECHNIQUE 



operations are neglected or done in a careless manner ; 

 indeed, many cultivators sow their crops so badly that 

 effective interculturing is almost impossible. The con- 

 servation of soil moisture by means of a fine mulch 

 is the principle which underlies the practice of dry- 

 farming in the arid tracts of America and other 

 countries, about which so much has been written. 

 The conditions under which this svstem can be 

 adopted to the best advantage consist of a deep, free- 

 working soil with good capillary powers. In the arid 

 tracts of the middle-west States of the United States 

 of America such soils are given very fine tillage to 

 enable them to take up the moisture that falls. The 

 depth of the soil facilitates the storage of much 

 moisture, which is preserved from evaporation by a 

 fine mulch, while the capillary power of the soil 

 raises it to a level at which deep-rooted plants, such 

 as wheat, can make use of it. In western India- 

 physical conditions make the conservation of soil- 

 moisture much more difficult than in the typical dry- 

 farming tracts of Utah and Idaho. The soil is often 

 shallow, and the presence of a porous sub-soil prevents 

 the storage of much moisture. When the soils are 

 deep and retentive, capillary action is apt to be de- 

 fective, and it is usually a matter of much difficulty to 

 secure a really fine tilth. In spite of this, however, the 

 wheat cultivators do, during the monsoon, store up 

 the soil moisture in this way, with the result that 

 in a favourable year they obtain fair wheat crops 

 during the cold season, even though no rain at all may 



