If you will ciirefiiUy observe the fields on your way to and from 

 school you ^A•ill doubtless find a number of places in which the crops 

 are not doing well. Try to find whether the reason is lack of drain- 

 age, tillage, humus, moisture or manure. The more you observe these 

 "poor spots'" and compare them with fields which you have helped to 

 improve the better will you be able to decide what is needed in each 

 case to remedy the defect. 



2. Drainage. What has already been said about drainage has 

 doubtless raised the question, "Why is drainage helpful in time of 

 drovith?" The reason is that by removing the excess of water in wet 

 weather the drain permits the soil to become warm earlier, admits the 

 air and this stimulates the chemical activity of the soil. Under these 

 changed conditions the crop can be sown or planted earlier. It thus 

 gets a better start, becomes more deeply rooted before dry weather 

 begins and is, therefore, better able to pass the drouth without serious 

 injury. Experiments have also shown that a drained soil is actually 

 moister in a dry time than one that is not drained. 



3. Tillage. Although farmers' boys are familiar with the general 

 purposes of tillage or cultivation I will call attention to an interesting 

 "what,"' "how" and "why" of this subject that may make it clearer 

 to you. Jiist what is the specific purpose of tillage at different times 

 of the season; how may the desired effect be best secured, and why 

 does tillage conserve or save soil moisture? 



As to the "what," I would say that the specific object in cultivation 

 will vary with the time of year and the climatic conditions. When the 

 seed bed has been properly prepared and the seed has been sown or 

 planted the chief purpose of tillage af first will be to break the crust 

 formed by packing rains, and thus admit air so that the seeds may ger- 

 minate promptly. This will be the first object whenever the land has 

 become encrusted. In case the land has been allowed to become foul, 

 owing to poor culti^•ation in previous years, the chief purpose will 

 doubtless be to destroy weeds. The admission of air, the destruction 

 of weeds and the mixing of the particles of soil with each other or 

 with manure or fertilizer, are the chief purposes of tilling in the early 

 part of the growing season. Later in the season, when the weeds have 

 been subdued, especially when dry weather sets in, the chief purpose 

 of tillage will be to conserve soil moisture, that is, to prevent its evap- 

 oration from the surface of the soil as much as possible, in order that 

 the thirsty plants may get sufficient moisture for vigorous growth. 

 Now as to the "how." All of the above named purposes may be se- 

 cured in most properly prepared soils by the use of a cultivator having 



