192 



NATURE AND PROPERTIES OF SOILS 



These data show clearly that an excessive amount of mois- 

 ture in the soil is not a favorable condition for the economical 

 use of water. 



The amount of available nutrients is also concerned in the 

 economic utilization of water. In general the data along 

 these lines show that the more productive the soil the lower 

 is the transpiration ratio. Therefore, a farmer, in raising 

 the productivity of his soil by drainage, lime, good tillage, 

 green-manures, barnyard manures, and fertilize^ provides 

 at the same time for a greater amount of plant production 

 for every unit of water utilized. The total quantity of water 

 taken from the soil, however, will probably be larger. 



The following figures from Montgomery x are representative 

 of data available on this phase : 



Table XXXVI 



RELATIVE WATER REQUIREMENT OF MAIZE ON DIFFERENT TYPES 

 OF NEBRASKA SOILS, 1911. 



The effects of texture have been investigated by a number 

 of men, the work of von Seelhorst 2 and of Widtsoe 3 being 



1 Montgomery, E. G., Water Requirements of Qorn; Nebr. Agr. Exp. 

 Sta., 25th Ann. Kep., p. xi, 1912. 



See also, Hellriegel, H., Beitrage zu den Naturwissenschaftlichen 

 Grundlage des Ackerbaus, Seite 629, Braunschweig, 1883. 



2 Seelhorst, C, von., tJber den Wasserverbrauch von Boggen, Gerste, 

 Weizen, und Kartoffeln; Jour. f. Landwirtschaft, Band 54, Heft 4, 

 Seite 316-342, 1906. 



3 Widtsoe, J. A., Irrigation Investigations. Factors Influencing Evapo- 

 ration and Transportation; Utah Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. 105, 1909. 



