BREAKING THE VIRGIN PRAIRIE 123 



growth early in the season, hence the sooner the plowing 

 is done the greater the amount of water conserved. 



Native prairie does not readily take in all the water 

 that falls upon it especially if the land is rolling or hilly. 

 Plowed land on the other hand absorbs water more 

 readily than unplowed land. Breaking early in the 

 rainy season gives, therefore, greater opportunity for 

 the soil to absorb moisture and breaking crosswise of 

 the slopes, if possible and practicable, facilitates the 

 absorption of a greater part of the run-off from melting 

 snow the next spring. 



The loss of moisture by evaporation from the furrow 

 slice and from the subsoil of a freshly broken field is very 

 great for the reason that, not only the top of the furrow, 

 but generally its sides and often its bottom, and the fur- 

 row bottom as well, are exposed to the drying influence of 

 the wind. This loss of moisture is lessened by (1) turn- 

 ing the furrow perfectly flat, (2) bringing it against 

 the subsoil with a packer or planker, and (3) disking 

 to fill in the cracks between the furrows as soon as the 

 latter are sufficiently decayed to permit of this being done 

 without turning up unrotted sods. 



Plowing the prairie sod results in partial or complete 

 killing of the native plants and in making the soil re- 

 ceptive to rains, thus at once preventing loss by trans- 

 piration and by run-off. Then, by packing and disking 

 the loss of moisture by evaporation is lessened and more 

 is conserved for the use of the subsequent crop. The 

 longer the disking is left undone after breaking the bet- 

 ter the land will "work up" but the sooner the loose 

 layer can be created on the surface the more moisture 

 there will be saved. 



