Soil moisture and its conservation as applied to western Kansas

Citation: Cole, R. C. Soil moisture and its conservation as applied to western Kansas. Senior thesis, Kansas State Agricultural College, 1902.Morse Department of Special CollectionsIntroduction: To almost every agricultural section of the world the subject of soil moisture is important. At no place do we at all times find the water supply perfectly suited to the greatest crop production. True in some localities the yearly rainfall is almost exactly that required for maximum crops. But does it come just when needed and never when not needed? Are there no times when the crops suffer for want of a rain? In some sections the problem is to drain off rather than to conserve the soil moisture. When this is the problem, it is as important as is the problem of conservation of moisture in dry sections. In our own state, in the greater portion of it at least, we have the drouth problem confronting us and it is this phase of the subject that we intend to consider. The reason why soil moisture is important to man is that it is essential to plant growth. A certain amount is necessary before any growth will take place and a certain larger amount is required for maximum growth. This amount varies with the plant life, some requiring an enormous amount of water while others require but comparatively little. To give an idea as to the amount of water required by our Kansas crops for fair yields, I will insert the following table taken from Bailey’s Principles of Agriculture