THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



81 



under, scraped from the surface, or partly washed off 

 by flooding, particularly where the lay of the land 

 is sloping. In the case of alkali, as has already been 

 said, drainage, or exhaustion of the soil by the culti- 

 vation of gross feeding plants seems to be the reason- 

 able remedy; at all events it proves effectual. 



Burning over the soil was an ancient method, one 

 used by the Romans to alter the constituents of the 

 soil, the object being to render the soil less compact, 

 less tenacious, and less retentive of moisture by destroy- 

 ing the elements that tend toward holding it in a con- 

 crete consistency. 



It is practiced in the United States for the same 

 purpose, but in the vast areas of the boundless West, 

 where a man is not limited to a small acreage of the 

 soil, it is not regarded as worth the labor, although it 

 might in many instances be beneficial. The .soils im- 

 proved by burning are all such as contain too much dead 

 vegetable fiber, by the burning of which they lose 

 from one-third to one-half of their weight. So stiff 

 clays, adobes, hardpans, and marls are improved by 

 burning. But in the case of coarse sands, or where 

 the elements of the soil are properly balanced, burning 

 is detrimental, and the same is the case in silicious sandy 

 soils after they have once been brought into cultivation. 



As to changing the condition of lands in respect 

 to water, the subject belongs to irrigation, but it may 

 be said here in passing, the land should be cultivated, 

 having in mind the flowing of water, whether from 

 irrigation or rain, so as to avoid the accumulation of 

 stagnant water, which is injurious to all classes of use- 

 ful plants. When the surface soil is properly consti- 

 tuted aXd rests on a subsoil moderately porous, both 

 will h/ild water by capillary attraction, and what is not 

 so retained will sink into the substrata by its gravity; 

 t when the subsoil is retentive, it will resist the per- 

 lation of water to the strata below and thus accumu- 

 late in the surface soil, and, making the latter "soggy," 

 will cause disease to the plants. Hence the origin of 

 surface draining, that is, laying land in ridges or beds, 

 or intersecting it with small, open gutters, a very good 

 practice where irrigating water is used, for into them 

 the water may be turned and then plowed over, left 

 to come up to the surface where the plant roots can 

 reach it. The alteration of land by water will be treat- 

 ed in detail in its proper place under the head of "Irri- 

 gation." 



We have already referred to the effect of the sun's 

 rays on land, and add here that in cultivating, there 

 is one advantage in ridging lands and making the ridges 

 run north and south, for on such surfaces the rays 

 of the morning sun will take effect sooner on the east 

 side, and those of the afternoon on the west side, while 

 at mid-day the sun's elevation will compensate for the 

 obliquity of its rays to both sides of the ridge. In 

 gardening there is much advantage in observing this 

 method of cultivation, for the reason that much earlier 

 crops may be produced than on a level ground. Thus, 

 sloping beds for winter crops may be made southeast 

 and northwest, with their slope to the south, at an 

 angle of forty degrees, and as steep on the north side as 

 the mass of earth can be got to stand. On the south 

 slope of such ground of course the crops will be earlier 

 than on level ground. There is little advantage of 

 this sloping, however, unless perfection of garden prod- 

 uce is desirable, although the advantage of sloping is 

 a diminution of evaporation and also a ready natural 

 drainage. 



Although rotation of crops will be treated in a 

 special chapter, the subject has a bearing upon cultiva- 

 tion, or treatment of the soil, since the necessity for a 

 rotation of crops seems to grow out of a diminution of 

 certain plant foods desirable to certain plants, and 

 there are many species of plants which require particu- 

 lar substances to bring their seeds or fruits- to perfec- 

 tion. It may be that these particular substances are 

 in the soil but beyond the reach of the plant. In that 

 case it is clear that a thorough mixing of the elements 

 of the soil will bring the appropriate food within reach 

 of the plant, or, if that can not be done, then the plant- 

 ing of some other crop, and permitting it to return 

 back into the soil, will afford the required food for the 

 desired plant. In this place, cultivation and thorough 

 mixing is advised. In the proper chapter the whole sub- 

 ject will be treated in detail. 



The following are some of the root and soil pecu- 

 liarities of well known plants: 



Wheat Has feeble roots at surface, but strong tap 

 roots penetrating deep into the soil. Stiff soil. 



Oats Next to wheat, will stand stiff soil, but the 

 giant throws out in the superficial layer of soil a num- 

 ber of fine feeders in lateral directions, and hence the 

 top soil should be light and open. 



Barley It throws out a network of fine, short root 

 fillers of no great depth and requires a light, open loam. 



Peas Require a loose soil, with little cohesion, and 

 spread soft root fibers deep. 



Beans Ramify strong, woody roots in all direc- 

 tions, even in a heavy and compact soil. 



Clover Grass seeds and small seeds generally put 

 forth at first feeble roots of small extent, and require so 

 much the greater care in preparing the soil to insure 

 their healthy growth. The pressure of a layer of earth 

 a half to one inch thick suffices to prevent germination. 

 Such seeds require only just as much earth to cover 

 them as will retain the needful moisture for germina- 

 tion. 



Turnips, potatoes, etc. The nature of these fleshy 

 and tuberous roots clearly point out the part of the soil 

 from which they draw their chief supply of food. Po- 

 tatoes are found in the topmost layers of soil, whereas 

 the roots of beets, turnips, parsnips, etc., send their 

 ramifications deep into the subsoil, and 'will succeed 

 best in a loose soil of great depth. Still they grow well 

 in heavy and compact soil properly prepared for their 

 reception. 



As to the length of roots it has been found that 

 alfalfa will grow roots thirty feet, flax five feet, clover 

 above six feet, etc., and beets have been known to send 

 out a long, tapering root sixteen feet along the surface, 

 an instance of which has been already noted. 



It is on the root that the farmer should bestow his 

 whole care. Over that which grows from it he has 

 no control, except perhaps in the way of pruning or bud 

 "pinching," as in the case of tobacco, melons, fruits, 

 etc. 



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