Under a low natural precipitation, where the
methods of dry-farming are practiced, it is always safe to plant
deeply, for such a practice will develop and strengthen the root
system, which is one big step toward successful dry-farming.
Quantity to sow
Numerous dry-farm failures may be charged wholly to ignorance
concerning the quantity of seed to sow. In no other practice has the
custom of humid countries been followed more religiously by
dry-farmers, and failure has nearly always resulted. The discussions
in this volume have brought out the fact that every plant of
whatever character requires a large amount of water for its growth.
From the first day of its growth to the day of its maturity, large
amounts of water are taken from the soil through the plant and
evaporated into the air through the leaves. When the large
quantities of seed employed in humid countries have been sown on dry
lands, the result has usually been an excellent stand early in the
season, with a crop splendid in appearance up to early summer. .A
luxuriant spring crop reduces, however, the water content of the
soil so greatly that when the heat of the summer arrives, there is
not sufficient water left in the soil to support the final
development and ripening.
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