Saving Soil Moisture. 149 
“The Soil.” He says: “Since each independent soil 
grain of a moist soil is more or less completely 
surrounded by a film of water, it is evident that, 
other conditions being present, the largest aggre- 
gate surface area may retain the most water per 
cubic foot. Now, a eubic foot of marbles one 
inch in diameter possesses an aggregate surface of 
27.7 square feet, while if the marbles were reduced 
in diameter to one-thousandth of an inch, then the 
total area per cubie foot is increased to 37,700 
square feet.” From this it is evident that the 
total amount of water capable of being absorbed 
by a soil which is cloddy and lumpy is very slight 
in comparison with what it would be were it in a 
finely divided state; and not only is its absorbing 
power less, but its power of holding moisture is 
also greatly reduced. 
A large amount of water is lost during the 
winter and spring months, owing to the surface 
drainage of melting snows and heavy rainfalls. 
To prevent this loss, fall plowing may be prac- 
ticed, and when the subsoil is very hard and com- 
pact, the use of the subsoil plow may prove most 
beneficial. Should the ground break up in clods, 
then it may be allowed to remain during the 
winter withont harrowing, to more thoroughly sub- 
ject it to the beneficial action of the elements. 
But if the soil is in good mechanical condition, 
and in fruit-land, plants should be growing on it 
during the winter. 
Harrowing to save moisture.—The harrow, besides 
