An introduction to agriculture . only the lowest portionof the powdered sugar and stops there. Why does not theliquid continue torise to the top ? Theparticles of powderedsugar are so dry,light, and small thatthey hardly toucheach other and thespaces between themare rather large. Itis difficult, underthese conditions, forcapillary water torise from one particleto another. In just this way a dust mulch, created onthe soil by constant cultivation, protects the soil againsttoo rapid evaporation of water. 44. Dry Land Farming.— In regions where theamount of rainfall is not sufficient to raise a pr
An introduction to agriculture . only the lowest portionof the powdered sugar and stops there. Why does not theliquid continue torise to the top ? Theparticles of powderedsugar are so dry,light, and small thatthey hardly toucheach other and thespaces between themare rather large. Itis difficult, underthese conditions, forcapillary water torise from one particleto another. In just this way a dust mulch, created onthe soil by constant cultivation, protects the soil againsttoo rapid evaporation of water. 44. Dry Land Farming.— In regions where theamount of rainfall is not sufficient to raise a profitablecrop and where irrigation is too expensive or impossible,^ dry farming has been put to use. The aim of this special method of tillage is to savewhat little rainfall there is, by continually stirring theground and keeping, on the surface, a dust mulch tocheck evaporation as much as possible. Sometimes theland is tilled for a whole year at a time in order to storeup sufficient moisture for a crop to be gro^vn the follow-. MOISTURE WILL NOT PASS OUT THROUGH THE POWDERED SUGAR.— Courtesy of theInternational Harvester Company. TILLAGE 45 ing year. This method gives but one crop in two regions where there is slightly more rainfall, twocrops are often grown in three years; and in some locali-ties dry farming permits a crop in every year; but ineach case the same principles are applied. Farmersare now producing good crops by dry farming, withonly ten, twelve, or fifteen inches of rainfall farming is practiced in many of the Western andSouthern states; and practically in all farming sectionswhere occasional periods of drought are apt to , during a dry spell, you cultivate or rake your gardenearly each morning to keep a light dust mulch constantlyon the surface, you are really putting dry farming principles into operation. These principles consist inchecking evaporation and in destroying all weeds sothat no soil water mav be wasted. QUESTIONS AND
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
