Campbell's 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



13 



It is hard to put too much stress upon this important point. Bear- 

 ing in mind that the all important element for the successful growth of 

 our crops is water, we must lose no opportunity of conserving and storing 

 the water from the earliest part of the spring to late in the fall. By the 

 double discing explained in the previous paragraph, we have done two very 

 important things in the storing and conserving of water. First, the pul- 

 verizing of the surface forms a dry, loose mulch of soil which prevents 

 evaporation. 



Second, it leaves the surface in the best possible condition for rapid 

 downward percolation of the melted snows and rains which may fall later. 



Cut No. 1 



Evaporation and percolation are more fully explained in chapters to fol- 

 low. After thoroughly pulverizing the surface to stop the evaporation we 

 can then do our plowing a little later, regardless of the climatic conditions 

 which may exist, and we shall find the soil in a moist condition. It is very 

 important that much care and attention be given to the condition of the 

 ground at the time the plowing is done. Land should not be plowed when 

 in bad physical condition, even though the surface soil contains more 

 plant nourishment than the sub-surface does, for good physical conditions 

 are quite as necessary, perhaps more necessary, than an abundance of 

 available plant food. This cannot be obtained in the seed and root bed 

 unless careful attention is given to these points. 



