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THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



HARROWING. 



THE harrow is indispensable to any farm, however small, being useful in various ways, 

 principally for pulverizing the soil, and covering the seed when only a slight covering is 

 necessary; it is also often valuable for exterminating weeds. Its use for any purpose is 

 most effectual when the soil is dry and capable of being crumbled or pulverized into a fine 

 mellow condition; therefore, a field should never be harrowed when the soil is wet. But a few 

 years since, the straight-toothed harrow, in the form of a triangle or letter A, was the only har 

 row known among farmers; although a useful implement in many respects, it was a very un 

 satisfactory one for fitting green sward for planting or sowing, as well as for some other pur 

 poses for which the improved harrows in use at the present time are so admirably adapted. 

 A thorough pulverization of the soil will well repay the labor bestowed in rendering it so, since 

 a soil that is reduced to a fine and mellow tillage, other conditions being equal, requires less 

 manure than one that is not thoroughly reduced to this condition, besides, it is an important 



LA DOW 8 PULVERIZING HARROW. 



principle in agriculture, that the more thoroughly the soil is mixed and worked over, the 

 better are the crops. Those agricultural machines that will best accomplish this complete 

 pulverization of the soil, are of course the best implements. For reducing heavy soils, such 

 as sodded or stiff clay lands, the efficiency of the harrow is increased by its moving quickly 

 through the soil, and striking the larger lumps with sufficient force to break them in pieces ; 

 for this reason an active team is better then a slow-moving one for this purpose, and horses 

 or mules are often preferred to oxen. 



The above illustration represents La Dow s jointed pulverizing harrow, manufactured by 

 the Wheeler & Melick Co., Albany, N. Y. This is a very efficient implement for pulverizing 

 and preparing lands for seed, as the discs are of steel and very sharp, and break or cut 

 through all the solid portions of the soil, leaving it fine, even, and mellow. It cuts uniformly 

 deep the entire length of each gang, and performs very thorough work by once going over 



