132 Irrigation and Drainage 



land in Wisconsin fall -plowed late in the season was 

 found in the spring, even as late as May 14, to con- 

 tain not less than 6 pounds of water to the square 

 foot more than similar adjacent land not so treated. 

 This is equivalent to 1.15 inches of rain, a very 

 important quantity to have been stored in the soil at 

 so late a period and in such a position that inter- 

 tillage is certain to retain it for service when it is 

 needed. 



It will be readily appreciated that this sort of tillage 

 to conserve moisture is most important in the sub- 

 humid and humid climates, whenever those dry seasons 

 occur which close the year with an under -supply of 

 soil moisture. 



It should not be inferred that this sort of tillage to 

 save moisture must be confined to such lands as are to 

 be sowed to small grains in the spring, or even planted 

 to corn or potatoes. It is particularly desirable in all 

 lines of orcharding, and where small fruits and grapes 

 are grown. The laying down and covering of the 

 plants need not prevent it, for the plowing may imme- 

 diately precede the laying down. In the growing of 

 small fruits without irrigation, the late fall tillage, just 

 before the ground freezes, is a matter of considerable 

 moment, because with strawberries, raspberries and 

 blackberries it very often happens that a shortage of 

 soil moisture just at the fruiting season results in a 

 very serious loss through a reduction of the yield, 

 and late, deep tillage will usually lessen this danger. 

 If it should be urged by some that this practice 

 applied to orchards would tend to stimulate a too late 



