. Annual report of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Cornell University. Agricultural Experiment Station; Agriculture -- New York (State). Moisture op the Soil. 489 cases it may be necessary to throw up ridges to produce the proper degree of warmth for germinatioii, but even then the ridges should be slight. Nothing could be better calculated to dry out a potato field or a corn field than throwing the ground up in high ridges, leaving a large surface exposed to the action of sun and wind. In fruit plantations Which are in a proper state of cultivation, a small-toothed or even spike-toothed
. Annual report of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Cornell University. Agricultural Experiment Station; Agriculture -- New York (State). Moisture op the Soil. 489 cases it may be necessary to throw up ridges to produce the proper degree of warmth for germinatioii, but even then the ridges should be slight. Nothing could be better calculated to dry out a potato field or a corn field than throwing the ground up in high ridges, leaving a large surface exposed to the action of sun and wind. In fruit plantations Which are in a proper state of cultivation, a small-toothed or even spike-toothed cultivator will be found sufficient to maintain the surface mulch. The following figures show how much the use of the cultivator mav do to save moisture: In our determinations of soil moisture we found, on July 1st, in a plot where 14,080 lbs. of green forage per acre had been cut from one-half of it but per cent, of moisture, while on the open cultivated space between plots, within five feet from where the other sample was taken, per cent, of moisture was found. July 6th samples were again taken. The percentage of moisture in the standing oats was , and in the open cultivated space 13 per cent. This clearly illustrates the difference in the amount of soil moisture retained by frequent surface tillage compared with that w^hich is found where a crop of grain covers the soil. Tlie roller in its relation to soil moisture is an implement whose value depends largely upon local conditions. There is no tool which requires more judgment as to its proper use. On light, loose sandy or gravelly soils, where every effort must be made to solidify and pack the particles closely togetlier,the roller must be used repeatedly. The difficulty of such soils is that the spaces between the grains are so large that the w^ater is permitted to pass through freely and is lost by percola- tion. The capillary openings are so large that there is very feeble dse of the water to take the place
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