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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 1914)
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION Deep Storage of Moisture (Special to the Farm Magazine.) WHILE PRACTICALLY all farmers that make any claim to progres sive agricultural practices are aware of the importance of deep stor age of moisture in dry farming, the importance of deep storage reaches fur ther than merely affording a larger supply of moisture for the dry seasons and naturally implies conditions that lead to a deeper rooting system of the growing crops. "Thus," says Professor Scudder, the Oregon Agricultural College agronom ist, "the crop roots have a great area of soil from which they obtain stored moisture and plant food. The deeper stored moisture which cannot reach the upper layers of soil rapidly enough through capillary action to supply the seeded sustenance, can be utilized by the deeply rooted plants as the hot weather approaches and the grain fill ing period comes. It is this sub soil moisture which acts as the dry farm er's reserve and permits him to pro duce a good crop practically without rain. "Getting the moisture into the soil is almost as important as is its con servation after it gets there. It is at least of first importance, for moisture cannot be conserved until it is taken into the soil reservoir. Inducing Deep Storage. "To Induce deep storage the surface soil must be maintained in an absorp tive, sponge-like condition throughout the precipitation period as far as pos sible, as already described, by plow ing or disking, increasing the hnmns content, etc., so that precipitation will strike in and be carried to the subsoil immediately, not only by percolation bnt by capillary action downward. "Indeed, one of the most important functions of capillary action is to carry moisture downward into the lower, drier areas after percolation has ceased. Here again a moist subsoil is of great est Importance, for a far-reaching capil lary movement downward is hastened where the soil particles are already moist, "slicking" the way for a more rapid passage of further moisture. Handling Properly. "Whore the surfaee soil is left hard and compact over winter and early spring, not only loss from surface wash ing occurs, but moisture does not pene trate into the subsoil. It remains largely in the surface layers. This re sults in shallow rooting of the crop plants and a consequent larger growth of leaf and stalk, a larger loss by WOOD TANKS For Water, Oil, Wine, Mining and Cyanide. Brnm hw Pta WE DO NOT SELL LUMBEE bnt devote our time and energy to producing the best tanks and wood pipe lines, and when yon purchase material bearing onr trade name "PACIFIC" yon are getting an article that will give yon complete satisfaction. Send your Inquiries to Pacific Tank&Pipe Co. Box 114 Kenton Station, Fort land, Ore. Manufacturers WOOD TANKS AND PIPE evaporation, a greater exhaustion of the plant foods in the surface layers and, of course, greater suffering in the dry, hot weather when filling time comes. "In properly handled soils in re gions of 10 to 15 inches rainfall, 'the moisture may be carried to depths of 8 and 10 feet and at this depth it is by no means beyond reach of even the I WAS always called a crank on the care of farm implements. What they meant was that I took more time than was profitable to eare for the tools; but to me it was more pleasure to use a well-cared-for tool than some weatherbeaten or rusty affair, aside from the quality of the work done with it The harrow was the only tool that I unhitched from in the field, it being too inconvenient to take in. Then the quality of the work it would do in either case could hardly be taken into consideration; so that harrow was cleaned and well painted onee in two years, and it was out in the weather about six weeks every spring. It cost $18 and I nsed It 30 years. There was a watering place in the machine shed, and hitching up and un- comparatively shallow rooted grain crops. Their roots strike steadily deeper and deeper and draw upon this deeply stored moisture directly and indirectly through the lesser distance that capil lary action must carry the more deeply stored moisture to them. As a matter of fact, it is not nncommon to find a portion of the roots of the wheat plant penetrating to a depth of eight or ten feet, although this does not occur, of course, except where moisture has pene trated that far, for root penetration follows only in the path of moisture." hitching were done in there. If it was a cold morning in early spring, the horses much preferred to go in there to drink than at the outdoor tank, and the same when it was hot. In showery weather, when working in the field, the doors were left open at one end or the other, whichever seemed the most favorable from the elements; then if we had to make a home run to beat the Bhower, everything was favorable for it The horses that took the plow out to the field in the morning brought it back again at noon. The plow must be sharpened every noon when in use. It took about 18 minutes to take off the plowshare, hammer it out cold on the anvil and put it on again. Then after dinner it seemed to draw 30 per cent easier when fresh sharpened. While the sharp plow would ran deeper, th dull plow would ran shallower. At night the plow was brought in. Then on the end of a shelf sat a tomato eaa with some machine oil and a paint brush in it, and it was a pleasure rather than a task to grease all the bright parts of the plow. Then if there was some damp weather and the plow was not used for a few days, there was no question but what it would do its part satisfactorily when wanted. The same with the planter; it was handier to take ont some corn on th planter than any other way. And with the cultivator, the mower, the tedder or hay rake, the horse or team that took them to the field brought them back again before they were unhitched. And even the binder the same; at morning and noon when the binder was in use there were 15 minutes or mors spent on the binder with wrench, pliers, oil hole cleaner, oil can, etc, and I thought it was time well spent When the season's use of each tool was over, it was cleaned, all bright parts greased, then put away in its place. It was arranged to take tools apart but little; all heavy parts put back on ground floor, all lighter parts put overhead. If any repairs wen needed on tools when put away, not was made of it, and then at some con venient time it was attended to. This to some looked like lots of needless work, bat to me it was a pleasure, or the poetry of farming. And it was profitable, for the tools lasted about twice as long. 4 si 'ii4-r ..-11; Malt Rainier is the Pure Malt Tonic For Mothers Who Require Additional Nourishment and Strength. ASK YOTJS PHYSICIAN For Sale by All Druggist Care Of Farm Implements