CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
Introduction 5 
Summary 8 
The Storage and Use of Soil Moisture 11 
General conditions 11 
Type of soil 11 
Table 1. — Mechanical composition of upland soil at North Platte, 
Nebr 12 
Depth of sampling 13 
Water in the soil 13 
Hygroscopic water 14 
Capillary water 14 
Gravitational water 15 
Maximum water-holding capacity of a soil 15 
Minimum point of exhaustion by the plant 16 
Table 2. — Showing maximum water-holding capacity of this type 
of soil, 1908-1909. Hard table-land. Buffalo grass sod, 17 
Table 3. — Minimum point of exhaustion of soil water by the crop, 18 
Storing water in the soil by summer tillage 19 
Table 4. — Storing moisture by summer tilling. Per cent of mois- 
ture in the soil 19 
Chart I. — Available water (above 8 per cent) stored by summer 
tillage 23 
Chart II. — Per cent of moisture in first six feet of soil, 1908 24 
Chart III. — Storing water by summer tillage 26 
Chart IV. — Storing water by summer tillage 27 
Depth to which water has been stored in one season 29 
Table 5. — Depth to which water has been stored in one year. Per 
cent moisture in the soil 30 
Effect of condition of soil at surface and character of rain on water 
retention 31 
Table 6. — Effect of surface condition in retaining rainfall 33 
Table 7. — Effect of surface condition and moisture content on 
storing water 33 
Table 8. — Effect of amount of water in soil on penetration, 1909 . . 34 
Table 9. — Effect of surface and moisture content on storing 
water, 1910 34 
Table 10. — Effect of surface and moisture content on storing 
water, 1912 35 
Table 11. — Effect of surface and amount of water in soil, on pene- 
tration, 1912 37 
Chart V. — Per cent of moisture in first six feet of soil, 1908 38 
Effect of cultivation 39 
Table 12. — Effect of disking after the binder on soil moisture.... 40 
Table 13— Effect of disking aftr the binder 41 
Table 14. — Effect of cultivation and weeds, 1912 43 
Table 15. — Plowing versus disking, effect on soil moisture, 1907.. 43 
Table 16. — Effect of cultivation on soil moisture, 1910 44 
Table 17. — Effect of cultivation and growing weeds on soil mois- 
ture, 1908 45 
