34 Progressive Agriculture 



PLOWING THE SUMMER TILLED LAND 



Plowing as a rule, in the central west should be 

 in early June; later plowing is somewhat risky, 

 for if the rains do not come the excessive heat later 

 on, last of July or in August, may dry out the 

 plowed portion to that degree that practically 

 no chemical or bacterial action will take place. 

 If there is no weed growth to bother your field, 

 for a considerable time after plowing, you may 

 know your seed and root bed is not up to the stand- 

 ard; therefore when the wheat or other seed is 

 deposited in such seed beds the germination and 

 growth is very slow and stooling very little in 

 the fall. The same will be proportionately true 

 in the early growth the following spring. At any 

 time and in many seasons of the year when you 

 are preparing your seed bed you must keep close 

 tab on the real condition you are getting your 

 soil into. This real soil condition must also be 

 given due consideration in deciding the quantity 

 of seed to be put in per acre, and more especially 

 so in fall seeding for winter wheat. Fields with 

 unfavorable conditions require more seed. 



Be sure to follow the plow closely with some 

 method of packing the bottom of the furrow, but 

 don't attempt to do it by pulling any solid roller 

 or clod crusher over the field for it only firms the 

 top and does not pack the bottom, which is the 

 vital point and especially so if you have plowed 

 five inches or more in depth. 



There have been some mistakes made in the 

 past by using the sub-surface packer, after the 



