Journal of Agriculture. [lo Feb., 1910. 



A NOTE ON THE WORKING OF SOILS. 



/. S. McFadzean, Dairy Supervisor. 



Many soils vary largely in their consistency under different degrees 

 of moistness, but there is some stage between wet and dry when each 

 may be most easily reduced by mechanical action to that friable condition 

 that is necessary in a good seed-bed. When breaking up land at any 

 season, but more especially when the weather is dry, every effort should 

 be made to work the ground at this stage, in order that the labour and 

 cost of cultivation may be reduced tO' a minimum, and a satisfactory yield 

 be ultimately obtained. 



It is not to be supposed that any one would intentionally make this 

 work of cultivation heavier for himself or his team ; nevertheless, this 

 is often done through overlcoking some simple matter in connexion with 

 the variations of the soil or weather. Even when apparently dry, all soil 

 contains some moisture; but, when in a condition which allows of it 

 being easily turned over by either plough or spade, there is usually an 

 obvious amount present. In breaking up ground that is intended for 

 cropping during the summer months such moisture should be carefully 

 conserved. Want of attention to this point frequently has caused much 

 loss of time, and has even resulted at times in the failure of that sea- 

 son's sowing. 



If damp soil on being turned over should lie in an unbroken sod, 

 exposed to the action of either a hot sun or a dry wind, much of the 

 moisture it contains will soon evaporate; and it is apt then to become 

 more or less caked and cloddy. In such a condition it will not make 

 into a satisfactory seed bed ; but, if broken down by harrowing before 

 it becomes over dry, much of its moisture will be retained, and it will 

 be more easily brought tO' the desired condition for .sowing. 



No gardener in digging sweet ground woiild turn it over in sods and 

 leave it to dry in that state. Each spadeful is broken down as it is 

 turned over ; and when digging is' fini.shed very little more work is re- 

 quired to make a satisfactory seed-bed. On the other hand, it is quite 

 a common occurrence for a ploughman to continue turning over acres of 

 soil until he has finished a given area ; meanwhile thoughtlessly leaving 

 the damp soil to bake and clod, and the moisture to evaporate. The 

 result is that, without an opportune rainfall, he afterwards experiences 

 much difficulty in bringing that ground into anything like fair sowing 

 condition, even by expending much extra time and labonr on it in repeated 

 working. In such cases the weather is blamed for the unsatisfactory 

 result. But, if the farmer had worked his acres on a method similar to 

 that applied by the gardener, and broken down the newly-turned soil 

 before it became dry, he would have had no cause for complaint. A 

 like result is obtainable with either plough or spade if the soil is' worked 

 down at the proper time; that is, before the moisture dries from it. 



Under dry weather conditions, therefore, ground should be broken 

 down as soon as possible after it is turned over ; and the drier the atmo- 

 sphere the less time must be lo^st in harrowing down the freshly ploughed 



