46 



Campbell's 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



period of drought. It is by the process of first making the soil near the 

 surface firm and compact and then subsequently, by frequent cultivation 

 as in the Campbell system, holding and storing all the rainwaters in the 

 stratum of soil below, so that this wonderful movement of water upward 

 by capillary attraction may take place and the growing crops nurtured and 

 matured. 



It is by the result of this wonderful movement that we are able to 

 go well nigh the western limit of the great prairies of the semi-arid west 

 and there store the rainfall deeply in the soil and then have it by this 

 power return upward through the pores of the soil to feed the plant dur- 

 ing the long dry periods, getting large yields in lieu of the oft-repeated 

 failure of the past. When these great points are understood, together 

 with the further fact that the loosening and drying of surface soil of a 

 sufficient depth will practically check any further upward movement, we 

 have a most wonderful condition. By the prox^er preparation of our soil, 

 that is, the fining and firming of the portion necessary for the root bed, 

 experience has demonstrated that we do increase the power of capillary 

 attraction or the more rapid movement of the moisture from below up. In 

 this soil condition we have one most favorable to the free and rapid 

 development of root growth. Now, if we can comprehend, or be made to 

 understand just how many stalks of corn, wheat, barley, or potatoes can be 

 supplied by this movement to its full demand per square foot or square 

 yard of surface soil, then with our blanket of loose soil spread over the 

 surface to prevent any loss of this moisture so that the roots can take it 

 all in, we have reached a condition that is most wonderful. These facts, 

 when fully comprehended, must and will make of this great semi-arid belt 

 the best and most desirable farming country we have in the United 

 States. 



That the fining or compacting, or any manner of reducing the spaces 

 between the particles of soil does actually increase the movement of 

 moisture is very clearly shown by the investigation's of the condition of 

 the soil beneath a horse foot track, or where a wagon has passed over a 

 plowed or otherwise pulverized field. Where the soil lies somewhat light 

 and loose to the eye it is apparently dry. Where the particles have been 

 compacted by the weight of the wagon, or the horse, a much larger per 

 cent, of moisture is perceptible. Simple facts like these should not be 

 passed over without a consideration of what they mean. The wonderful 

 uses of which electricity has now reached have been brought about by 

 observing even simpler facts and conditions than this. The development 

 .of steam power and the vast amount of labor that is performed by it 

 today, is the direct result of the simple observation of a boy, who placed a 

 • cork in the nose of the tea kettlCj thus stopping the discharge of steam, 

 when he soon discovered that the cover would frequently lift up by force 

 .of the steam and allow the steam to escape. By holding the cover down 



