14 THE SOIL AND THE PLANT 



condition that capillary water can move upward from the 

 great reservoir of ground water to the roots of the crops 

 and that excessive evaporation from the surface is pre- 

 vented. Capillary moisture passes very slowly through a 



Fig 3- Characteristic root growth of alfalfa. 



layer of cloddy soil, heavy sod, or coarse manure. There- 

 fore it is necessary before planting a crop that the soil be 

 well pulverized and that there has been sufficient time after 

 plowing for the sod or coarse manure, which has been 



