30 Progressive Agriculture 



is the most effective for double-disking in the fields, 

 as it is more easily regulated as to the proper 

 depth, draws lighter in proportion to the work it 

 does and leaves the surface leveler than the single 

 disk. As a rule it is not desirable to disk deeply 

 in early spring, but more on the shallow order. 

 With a reasonably level surface, two and one-half 

 inches into the soil is ample, but do not as a rule, 

 cut very much less in depth, too shallow is as 

 serious as too deep. Above all things, do not leave 

 any uncultivated spots. 



Do not follow the disk with a spike tooth or 

 smoothing harrow, as this is liable to make the 

 surface too fine, and a fine dust-like surface does 

 not hold the moisture as well as a coarser mulch. 

 Besides, the fine mulch is more susceptible to 

 blowing, and last but not least it is more certain 

 to be puddled and packed by fairly heavy showers, 

 (See Cut No. 9) which means also that a smaller 

 quantity of the water will be taken in from the 

 rains, since more of it will run off the puddled 

 surface of the field and be lost, and then another 

 cultivation will be required as soon as the surface 

 is sufficiently dry. 



The coarser mulch is, therefore, more econom- 

 ical, as it takes in the rains more readily, saves 

 more of the water and requires less labor. With 

 the coarser mulch, several light rains may fall 

 without seriously affecting the protection of the 

 moisture by the mulch; (See Cut No. 8), while 

 the fine dust like mulch is usually put out of 

 commission by one modest shower. 



At no time of the season is the danger of loss 



