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SOILS 



water, closely identified with soil grains. It should be re- 

 membered that drainage applies to lands only that are 

 flat or naturally wet, and then mainly in the early part of 

 the season, while the saving of moisture is the main factor 

 in most soils. 



Evaporation: drying out by sun and wind. A second 

 source of water loss is due to the action of the sun and 

 wind, which cause water vapor to rise directly from the 



CULTIVATION CHECKS EVAPORATION 



We cultivate to kill weeds, to conserve the moisture in the soil, and to render 

 plant food available 



surface of the soil. It matters not how much or how 

 little moisture there is present in the soil ; just the same, 

 there is a constant loss, and notably so if the atmos- 

 phere is hot or dry. This escape of moisture is of prime 

 importance to every farmer. It is needed in the soil ; par- 

 ticularly is this true in dry seasons and during the sum- 

 mer months. 



While it is true that every soil has a reserve store of 

 water, it is just as true that this reserve supply often 

 gets low, and especially is this so when the weather is hot 



