170 SOILS 



it. Likewise it may be wise to use a ridge-making 

 cultivator in early spring on some soils, to warm 

 and dry them, and replace this with a shallow- 

 working cultivator after the crop is well started and 

 the temperature of the soil is higher. 



PREVENTING LOSS OF WATER FROM SOD 



How to prevent the loss of soil water in sod land 

 is a more difficult problem, but something can 

 be done. A dressing of manure not only en- 

 riches the soil but also acts as a mulch to it, 

 preventing much water from escaping from the 

 oare places between the plants. The gist of the 

 whole philosophy of treating sod land, so as to get 

 full benefit from the water in it, is to have no bare 

 or unshaded places. If the grass plants stand so 

 thickly that all the surface is shaded, most of the 

 water lost from the soil passes off into the air through 

 the plants, much to our profit. But if the meadow 

 is getting worn out, and needs reseeding, a large 

 part of the soil water is lost by evaporation from 

 the bare places between the tufts of grass. Weeds, 

 daisies, dock, thistles and the like may take pos- 

 session of these bare places that appear in the sod 

 ground when the grass roots begin to get weak; 

 then the loss of water is greater. In handling sod 

 land so as to get the most value from the water 

 in it, endeavour to force most of this water 

 through the grass plants, by keeping the turf 

 dense and clean through occasional plowing and 

 reseeding, and by top-dressing. It is quite possible 

 to have a sod too thick, the result being that many 

 weak grass stalks of poor quality are produced, 

 but turf that is too thick is not nearly as common as 

 turf that is too thin. 



