Conservative * 11
of the Fourth of July. The rest of
the field had been cultivated only once
after the rain , but was in a fair con
dition. The uncultivated strip was
very hard upon the surface and quite
badly cracked open. Moisture deter
minations wore again made as in the
first instance , and very remarkable re
sults obtained. The samples of soil
were taken upon the same level and
within one hundred feet of each
other. Three tests were made in Muh
case as follows :
Cultivated soil , July 20 , 1st foot 19.80ft ; 2nd
foot 19.88 % .
Cultivated soil , August Or 1st foot 15.21 % ; 2nd
foot 17.63 % .
Cultivated soil , August 18,1st foot 17.689c ; 2nd
foot 22.45 % .
Average , 1st foot 17.50 % ; 2nd foot 19.82 % .
Uncultivated soil , July 20 , 1st foot 12.68 % ;
2nd foot 11.80 % .
Uncultivated soil , August 26,1st foot 11.32 % ;
2nd foot 12.769c.
Uncultivated soil , August 13,1st foot 11.44 % ;
2nd foot 12.22 % .
Average , 1st foot 11.81 % ; 2nd foot 12 2(1 % .
Difference in favor of cultivated soil , 1st foot
5.75 % ; 2nd foot 7.50 % .
These figures show very conclusive
ly that the physical condition of the
surface may very materially affect the
percentage of moisture retained with
in the soil in the region of plant
growth and what an important effect
one cultivation , and not a really good
one at that , may have in contribut
ing to the conservation of moisture
by hindering the formation of a
crust and breaking the capillary con
nection between the surface and the
soil beneath. The important point
to be aimed at is perfect capillary ac
tivity to within a few inches c the
surface , whore it must be arrested ,
and the above figures show that this
can bo done through a disarrangement
of the soil particles by means of the
'
cultivator. On the lighter soils this
can bo done with comparative ease ,
but to get heavy clays and gumbo in
to a fine condition is often a difficult
matter. But if conditions are care
fully watched and the cultivator put
to work at the right time after each
heavy rain , good results can be ob
tained. A large humus content of
the surface soil very materially im
proves the. friability of heavy soils
and adds much to the efficiency of
the surface fo.r conserving moisture.
This was very strikingly noticed up
on a field , a portion of which still con
tained alarge amount of decaying
vegetable matter from the original
prairie sod. The importance of keep
ing up the humus content of the
surface soil cannot be too strongly
emphasized and the burning of grain
stubble and other plant residxie should
never be permitted under any circum
stances. Where burning is practiced
a few years will generally suffice to
reduce naturally stiff soils to a condi
tion nndtor which cultivation and the
conservation of moisture become very
difficult if not impossible. A soil
containing plenty of humus will never
bake and crack open no matter how
hot and dry the weather may be.
In order to arrive at some definite
figures relative to the amount of
available soil moisture necessary to
keep corn alive , tests were made upon
parts of fields where the corn was
badly burned and showed signs of dy
ing completely. It was found that
corn could not live under normal at
mospheric conditions when the mois
ture in the first foot of soil dropped
below six per cent , and the amount of
moisture necessary to keep an average
corn hill alive may vary from five to
eight per cent according to the con
dition of the atmosphere. The tassel
will generally die when the available
moisture drops below eight per cent.
On the whole , observations seem to
indicate , that to make an average
yield of corn the moisture in the first
two feet of soil should never drop
below ten to twelve per cent. And ,
further , conditions here during the
past summer have conclusively proven
that by gareful and proper attention
to cultivation the corn crop need never
suffer to any extent for want of mois
ture , except perhaps upon a few small
sandy spots.
Another question to be answered
was , why wore so many ears only par
tially fertilized ? To fully account
for this phenomenon a botanical study
of the agents and of the process of
fertilization is necessary , together
with a study of the effects of drought
upon the tassel and silk. Now , un
derstanding that it is necessary for
the live germ of a pollen grain from
the tassel to find its way through the
medium of the silk to the corn kernel
that is to be , before fertilization can
take place , and that each kernel must
be independently fertilized through
its own thread of silk , we can read
ily see that if for any reason the
threads of the silk are not all proper
ly developed or pollen fails to reach
them there will be just so many gaps
upon the corn cob. Under normal
conditions nature makes no mistakes ,
there is an abundance of pollen , the
silks are in a receptive condition at
the proper time and few grains escape
fertilization. But this year the sud
den and decided change from rather
wet weather to extremely high tem
peratures and hot winds so checked
growth that in many cases the tassel
withered and died before pollen coiild
bo produced. In other cases the de
velopment of the cob and the appear
ance of the silk wore so retarded that
all the pollen had fallen off before
the silk was in , a condition to re
ceive any. In still other cases the silk ,
being already weakened as a result of
insufficient moisture , withered at
the-tips soon after its appearance and
before all the threads had received
35 *
their pollen. The bearing of soil mois
ture upon this question is quite plain ,
and where there was an insufficiency
of moisture it was to bo expected
that the development of the whole
plant would be more or less arrested.
Withering of the tassel was found to
be not generally the direct cause
of failure to fertilize , for only a tassel
liere and there withered and there
was an abundance of pollen for all
needs. Observations seem to indicate
that fertilization failed to take place
oftener through arrested development
of the silk than through withering of
the tassel. Both were the result of ex
treme heat and a lack of moisture ,
but poorly filled ears were found on
stalks whose tassels had pi educed an
abundance of pollen.
A. T. WIANOKO.
Ames , Nob. , Sept. 17 , 1901.
THE SIROCCOS.
lu Northern Africa are neither
mountain ranges nor forests , a tropic
sun pours i'ts fierce rays upon the Lib
yan desert sands and as the wind blows
over the desert it accumulates a vast
amount of heat. Meeting with no ob
structions in its onward flow across the
desert and then over the Mediterranean
Sea , its hot breath deals destruction to
Malta , Sicily and Italy.
Either a range of mountains or a
heavy forest would deflect this hot cur
rent upwards ; mixing with the colder
air of the higher stratathe temperature
would be reduced and a colder current
forced to the surface.
The Mexican sirocco has a clean
sweep as it moves northward over
Texas , New Mexico and Oklahoma , not
a range of mountains nor forest belt to
obstruct its passage. It reaches Kan
sas , Nebraska and other states , accumu
lating heat all the way , and those
who have felt its breath realize
its terrible character.
Extensive plantations of forest trees
in heavy east and west belts , especially
upon the higher ridges of the states
along its course , will bo an effectual
and only relief.
This can only be done by the combined -
bined efforts of the national government -
ment , each individual state and the
farmers and laud owners of the entire
region , reduction of taxation upon
lands so planted in timber-bounties by
the national government , seeds and
trees to be supplied of suitable charac
ter , and practical instruction by the
Forestry Bureau. When the land
owners are assured that practical forest
planting means a profitable return in
after years , and that the demand for
good timber will always continue , they
will bewilling to do their part as the
states and nation do theirs.
JOHN P. BKOWN.
Oouuersville , Ind. , Sept. 25 , 1901.
