TRACTION ENGINE IN DRY -FARMING 257 



and then keep it constantly cultivated, or, where the land is 

 clean, to plow it late and give it no further cultivation. The 

 former is of course the more desirable method, as the weeds 

 are destroyed as fast as they appear, the surface mulch is main- 

 tained, and no moisture is lost. However, with the ordinary 

 number of horses kept on such farms, weeds often grow faster 

 than they can be kept down. 



Lovers of dumb beasts who pity the overloaded cart horse 

 of the city streets, may well pity the patient, willing farm horse, 

 in summer fallowing time, doomed to long, weary hours under 

 the dry glare of the Western prairie sky, dragging a relentless 

 load through the choking dust and heat. The hotter and drier 

 the season, the more intense the energy which must be applied 

 to retain the precious fluid. Again and again, by day and by 

 night, cultivation must go on under extreme pressure. In 

 the hour of need extra horseflesh cannot be had at any cost, 

 and mere brute flesh and blood has neither the power nor 

 endurance to meet the tremendous emergency. With the 

 traction engine, the land can be gone over swiftly, and where 

 necessary, the acreage can be doubled at night. Weeds then 

 have small chance to rob the soil of the moisture and the soluble 

 plant food made ready for the following crop. 



It is a curious fact that hi fallow ground rain may cause a 

 loss of moisture where abundant power is not available for 

 cultivating. A slight rain may penetrate only to the depth 

 of the dust mulch, causing it to run together and establish 

 capillary channels connecting with those in the subsoil. The 

 evaporation during the middle of the summer, when these 

 showers may be expected, may not only be great enough to 

 remove the rain which has just fallen, but a large part of that 

 which has been so carefully hoarded below the surface. It is 

 practically out of the question for the farmer to maintain 

 horses enough for such an emergency but by crowding his 

 engine to its full capacity, he is able to reestablish the mulch 

 before the mischief is done. 



