Productive farming . Fig. 36a—^A ten-ahovel sulky cultivator. This form of macliine leaves a finesoil surface which helps to save moisture. Fig. 366.—A one-horse walking cultivator with many small shovels and a smoothrake behind. The fine soil mulch produced is the best means of preventing evaporar-tion of the moisture. growing season. If the tubes and pores through which thewater passes are undisturbed the water will escape rapidlyinto the air. If, on the other hand, these tubes are brokenby tillage, evaporation is checked. Exercise.—Effect of Mulch.—^When the ground is dryplace an old cloth
Productive farming . Fig. 36a—^A ten-ahovel sulky cultivator. This form of macliine leaves a finesoil surface which helps to save moisture. Fig. 366.—A one-horse walking cultivator with many small shovels and a smoothrake behind. The fine soil mulch produced is the best means of preventing evaporar-tion of the moisture. growing season. If the tubes and pores through which thewater passes are undisturbed the water will escape rapidlyinto the air. If, on the other hand, these tubes are brokenby tillage, evaporation is checked. Exercise.—Effect of Mulch.—^When the ground is dryplace an old cloth or carpet or a bunch of hay on the a day or so the ground under this mulch will becomemoist by drawing water up from beneath, while the groundaround the mulch may remain quite dry. A covering of 64 PRODUCTIVE FARlVnNG fine soil made with a rake, called a dust mulch, will havethe same effect in keeping garden soils moist during dry. \ IG 37.—^pike-toothed harrow, produrmff a du^t mulch m a peach orchard.(E\periment station, N. J J weather. A dust mulch can be made with a fine-toothedharrow or weeder over a large field very rapidly (Fig. 37). REVIEW. 1. Name the three forms of water in soils. 2. Which form is most useful to growing plants? 3. How can we determine the amount of capillary water in a soilsample? 4. How does free water in soil help the farmer? 5. Under what circumstances is the free water harmful? 6. What becomes of the moisture taken up by a growing crop? 7. Describe the movement of capillary moisture in soils? 8. What are pore spaces in soils? 9. What kinds of soil have the largest pores? 10. In what soils is the capillary movement of moisture most rapid?What is the effect of rolling the loose soils? 11. What soils hold the most capillary moisture? 12. What kind holds the least? 13. Suppose humus soil and sandy soil were mixed, what would bethe effect on their moisture-holding powers? 14. What is
Size: 1966px × 1271px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidcu, booksubjectagriculture
