72 
Research Bulletin No. 5 
water content. At harvest all available water within reach of 
the crop had been used. Chart XII shows available water in 
the first two feet of soil. This was held from the very heavy rain 
in October. 1008, shown in Chart XI, and from the snow shown 
in February, 1909. During the entire season, tho there were 
several heavy rains, no water reached the third foot. The chart 
indicates a change in the water content of the fifth foot. This is 
doubtless due to error for there is no such change indicated in 
the third and fourth feet. 
Chart XIII shows at the first sampling an accumulation of 
water in the first foot of soil and a very little available water in 
the second foot. The third foot and below remain dry thruout 
the season. The second foot becomes dry during May and re- 
mains dry thruout the remainder of the season. It will be noted 
from this chart that during the latter part of May all available 
water was exhausted from the soil. From this time until harvest 
the crop was entirely dependent on the rain. Just enough rain 
came to pull the crop thru. The crop did not ripen naturally, 
but simply dried. This is shown by the harvest date which is 
very early as compared with the preceding years shown. 
Chart XIY shows that there was no available water in the 
soil at seeding time. This made the crop entirely dependent on 
the seasonal rainfall. The rainfall was deficient. During the 
early part of the season, while the crop was small and using verv 
little water, only a small amount of water accumulated in the 
second foot. The latter part of May the crop began to suffer. 
By June 4 all growth had ceased, and by June 15 the crop was 
dead. With the exception of the slight increase in w T ater con- 
tent of the second foot in May. it remained dry all the season 
until the heavy rain in October. The second foot was practically 
dry from the last of July. 1909, until the first of October, 1911. 
Chart XY shoAvs available water in the first two feet of 
soil in February. 1912. In May the moisture has increased, 
filling the first three feet and passing into the fourth, fifth, and 
sixth. The rainfall of May and June was almost as low as for 
the same months in 1911. The crop had the reserve water in the 
soil to draw upon, however, and made a yield of 11.2 bushels an 
acre. The chart shows how rapid the crop will use water from 
the soil when it is forced to depend almost entirely on the water 
in the soil. Without the reserve in the soil the crop would have 
died of drouth in May or June. 
The heavy precipitation of March and April. 1912, supplied 
water to the third foot of soil for the first time since it became 
dry the latter part of June, 1908. 
