32 Progressive Agriculture 



All this aids in obtaining a higher degree of 

 warmth and the proper per cent of moisture, both 

 of which are so necessary in increasing the avail- 

 able plant food. Timeliness in tillage and not 

 quantity of work is the essence of success in this. 



Land that is to be planted to small grain or 

 checkrowed corn, should be plowed fairly early 

 after the early disking, in fact the earlier it is 

 plowed, providing the soil is moist, the greater 

 are the chances for a more ideal seed bed at 

 planting time, both from more tillage and a 

 greater possible rain, good rains are necessary 

 after plowing to obtain the most ideal seed beds. 



The farmer must grasp at once in connection 

 with this idea of more and better tillage before 

 planting, the fact that it takes a larger number of 

 days to grow and mature a plant if the seed is 

 planted early in a cold, half prepared, dead, 

 clammy soil than if planted later in a live warm 

 soil. Warmth gives energy to the soil and energy 

 stimulates growth, and the coaching of this 

 energy by the right kind of spring tillage, is 

 wonderfully effective. 



Plowing should be a fair depth from 5 to 7 

 inches, depending on conditions previously re- 

 ferred to, but do not leave the freshly plowed 

 ground to dry out, follow closely with the sub- 

 surface packer or disk set straight. Remember, 

 you are now preparing the seed and root bed in 

 which the plants are to be born, fed and matured. 

 Don't make any mistakes. For later cultivation 

 and before planting the Acme harrow is very good, 

 (See Cut No. 35), as it tends to turn the live moist 



