DRY FARMING 257 



(1) Plowing the soil deep and pulverizing it to ob- 

 tain a fine, loose texture, so that the soil will absorb 

 all the moisture that falls as rain or snow. 



(2) Compacting the subsoil, if it is very loose, so 

 that the soil particles, by lying closer together, will 

 enable water from below to rise within reach of the 

 roots of the growing crops. 



(3) Stirring the upper three or four inches of soil 

 so that it acts as a blanket or mulch to prevent the 

 moisture from reaching the surface where it would 

 evaporate into the air. 



(4) Keeping down all weeds, which take up moisture 

 from the soil and by transpiration allow it to pass into 

 the air. 



(5) Tilling the land during one season by these 

 special methods before planting the crop. By this 

 system the crop gets practically all the moisture that 

 comes to the land in two seasons instead of one, and 

 the farmer has only one half of his land in crop each 

 year. 



(6) Adding vegetable matter to the soil, which will 

 help to absorb and hold water as well as add food ma- 

 terials for plants. 



Plants suitable for dry farming. - - The second part 

 of dry farming is the growing of plants that can be 

 raised with a small amount of water. Our most 

 drought-resistant plants are those that have been pro- 

 duced in the semiarid region of our own country or 

 have been brought from other dry countries. Some of 



B. AND D. AC. 17 



