This condition is of the greatest importance in developing the
principles upon which successful dry-farming rests. Further, it may
be said that while in the humid East the farmer must be extremely
careful not to turn up with his plow too much of the inert subsoil,
no such fear need possess the western farmer. On the contrary, he
should use his utmost endeavor to plow as deeply as possible in
order to prepare the very best reservoir for the falling waters and
a place for the development of plant roots.
_Gravel seams.--_It need be said, however, that in a number of
localities in the dry-farm territory the soils have been deposited
by the action of running water in such a way that the otherwise
uniform structure of the soil is broken by occasional layers of
loose gravel. While this is not a very serious obstacle to the
downward penetration of roots, it is very serious in dry-farming,
since any break in the continuity of the soil mass prevents the
upward movement of water stored in the lower soil depths. The
dry-farmer should investigate the soil which he intends to use to a
depth of at least 8 to 10 feet to make sure, first of all, that he
has a continuous soil mass, not too clayey in the lower depths, nor
broken by deposits of gravel.
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