4 Pr'efzce 



/the practical application of the vital principles is 



( all new, and today we are better prepared than 



ever before to give information that will be 



immensely helpful to all who are engaged in 



general fanning in the west. 



The real question is one of results large crops 

 in all seasons, surer crops every year, cutting 

 out uncertainty and chance wherever possible. 

 It can be done, it has been done, you can do it. 



A great army of doubters has been forced to 

 recognize the plain fact that these problems are 

 being solved, and public sentiment now more 

 than ever before favors the demonstrated fact 

 that by soil tillage very much can be done to over- 

 come the handicap of limited rainfall in the semi- 

 humid west. There is better appreciation of the 

 close relation between soil tillage and available 

 plant food, together with the quantity of seed 

 and time of seeding, and consequent increase of 

 crops. It is a growing and expanding subject 

 with immense possibilities. 



Results of actual farm work form the basis of 

 this book. The principles stated and discussed have 

 been developed from actual experiments in the 

 great variety of soils under many climatic con- 

 ditions. The pictures used are from photographs, 

 and names, dates and actual results are invariably 

 given to illustrate what has actually been done. 



This book is dedicated to the farmer who is 

 desirous to make progress in agriculture, who 

 will study these pages and take home the lessons 

 of these pictures, who approaches the subject 

 without prejudice or skepticism, and who is will- 



