SOIL WATER: HOW IT is LOST 



i6 7 



and dry. Capillarity causes the trouble. We suppose 

 that capillarity is an agent at work bringing water from 

 lower depths up to roots for our good, only; but let us 

 remember that this same force carries water higher than 

 the root region, merely ; it carries it up to the very top, 

 where, when in contact with the surface, it is licked up 

 by winds and atmosphere, and borne away beyond reach 

 of soil or plant or man. 



Cultivation checks evaporation. It now becomes mani- 

 fest that soils must be cultivated, not only to make them 

 wholesome and attractive to seeds, and to kill weeds, but 

 to cultivate them, also, to conserve this moisture to 

 check the loss occasioned by evaporation. 



Naturally, a question arises : Does cultivation conserve 

 moisture in the soil? In answer to this, let us consult the 

 soil about the matter. In New Hampshire the observed 

 differences between two plots are given below : 



Here is a saving of 352.64 tons of water per acre on 

 the cultivated plot. Certainly, a saving of tremendous 

 bearing during seasons of dry weather. 



Water must be carried into the soil. As a preliminary 

 step in conserving soil moisture, water must be admitted 

 to the soil. And right here is one of the spots where it is 

 well to give close attention: you must get water into the 

 soil before you can save it. Often the supply is short, and 



