THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
_ June 1, 1909 
SA RE AAS SEES TS EES NS EE ES 
TEOSINTE (grown at Moa), 
, THE 
FARM. 
The Conservation of Soil 
Moisture. 
Chas. C. Nixon, B,S.A., St. George, (Ohi 
(Canad) 
It has been observed at the Ontario 
Agricultural College that for every day’s 
delay in spring seeding, after the first 
week had passed in which the seeding 
should have taken place, there wasa great 
decrease in the yield of grain obtained. 
By actual experiment it was proved that 
there was an average decrease for each 
day’s delay of 56 lb. of oats, 53 1b of 
barley, 29 1b. of spring wheat, and 23 lb. 
of peas per acre, This was due to the 
loss of moisture through evaporation. 
There are few fields upon which crops 
of any kind, in any climate, can be 
brought to maturity, with the maximum 
yields that the soils are capable of pro- 
ducing, without adopting some means of 
There are fields 
where, at times, the moisture of the soil 
is too great, and drainage becomes 
necessary; but even under these conditions 
it will usually be found advisable to adopt 
measures for conserving the moisture not 
saving soil moisture. 
so removed. Plants must have water in 
order to live. In most cases, the rains of 
meet their 
We must rely upon stored: -up 
summer are insufficient to 
needs. 
moisture. 
Experiments have anti that, on ‘the 
average, crops require two and one-fourth 
times the water that falls during the 
_ season one also prepares for dr: ught. 
' course, vary with the situation, 
growing season. _It.is, therefore, apparen” 
» that we must aim to store up water in 
“~geasons when no growth is taking place: 
Some seasons, however, we get too much 
water and it becomes necessary to make 
provision for carrying it off. Paradoxical 
as it may seem, by preparing for a wet 
loosening which f.vors absortion also 
favours retention of moisture. 
Evaporation is the great source of loss 
of moisture. Few realise the enormous 
amount of evaporation that goes on from 
a given area of soil on a summer day. It 
has been estimated that from a surface of 
~ water 100 x 60 feet, there was an average 
daily loss from May to October of 20 
bbls. At this rate, there would be an 
average daily loss of 140 bbls. per acre 
The amount thus evaporated would, of 
the eX- 
posure and the temperature... No definite 
data, to show how. the: evaporation from 
soil would compare with that from water, 
has ever been compiled. It is believed» 
however, that where soil is bare, and it 
appears moist on top, the evaporation 
would be equal, or possibly greater. 
To conserve soil moisture, then, is the 
great problem with which we have to 4° 
as farmers. The great agency employed 
for this important work is some system 0 
mulching, Many kinds of mulches are 
available. The one most generally used 
is the earth mulch. It is simply a 1008 
blanket of earth which dries out, pre- 
venting the water below from passing UP 
through “it to the atmosphere. The 
effectivenese of a simple earth mulch i? 
conserving moisture is beyond the com” 
prehension of the average tiller of th? 
or GOODNESS Sake Use 
VIC 
OY 
TE 
The 
emer ee 
—— pend ——— a 
