CONSERVATION OF SOIL MOISTURE 



1. Soils of high hygroscopic moisture 

 can withdraw from moist air enough 

 moistiu*e to be of material help in sus- 

 taining the life of vegetation in rainless 

 summers or in time of drought. Such 

 soils cannot, however, maintain normal 

 growth, save in the case of some desert 

 plants. 



2. High moisture absorption prevents 

 the rapid and imdue heating of the sur- 

 face-soil to the danger-point, and thus 

 often saves crops that are lost in soils of 

 low hygroscopic power. 



The Soil-Mulch. 



Having spoken of the various ways in 

 which moistvu-e may exist in the soil, we 

 now come to a discussion of the best 

 means of conserving this moisture. This 

 can best be done by what is commonly 

 known as mulching. Any material which 

 is spread upon the soil to shade the sur- 

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