262 DRY-FARMING 



tions of plant parts may be observed as a direct result 

 of varying the amount of available water. In general, 

 then, it may be said that the roots of dry-farm crops 

 are well developed ; the parts above ground some- 

 what dwarfed ; the proptjrtion of seed to straw high, 

 and the proportion of meat or nutritive materials in 

 the plant parts likewise high. 



The water in dry-farm crops 



One of the cdnstant constituents of all plants and 

 plant jiarts is water. Hay, flour, and starch contain 

 comparatively large quantities of water, which can be 

 removed only hy heat. The water in green plants is 

 often very large. In young lucern, for instance, it 

 reaches So per cent, and in young peas nearly 90 

 per cent, or more than is found in good cow's milk. 

 The water so held by j^lants has no nutritive value 

 above ordinary water. It is, therefore, profitable for 

 the consumer to buy dry foods. In this particular, 

 again, dry-farm crops have a distinct advantage. 

 During growth there is n(jt perhaps a great cUfference 

 in the water content of plants, due to climatic dif- 

 ferences, Ijut after harvest the drying-out process 

 goes on much more completel}^ in dry-farm than in 

 humid districts. Hay, cured in humid regions, often 

 contains from 12 to 20 )ier cent of water; in arid 

 climates it contains as little as 5 pen- cent and seldom 

 more than 12 per cent. The drier haj' is naturally 



