Progressive Agriculture 83 



soil combined with the utility of air and water and 

 the tillage or mechanical work necessary to bring 

 the results in the most economical manner, as we 

 now understand these questions after 35 years 

 observation, thinking and experiments. 



The following facts must be recognized by the 

 average farmer, when the seed bed in a field is 

 fairly fine and firm and carries a high per cent 

 of moisture or what is properly termed capillary 

 water, which indicates that each soil particle is 

 enveloped in a thin film of water while the minute 

 spaces between carries air and the surface is 

 covered with a coarse loose mulch to protect or 

 preserve this condition and the season is advanced 

 far enough so the soil and atmosphere is warm, 

 the plant makes a very rapid healthy growth. 

 Why? 



Our position is that with careful summer tilling 

 in localities of light rainfall, that with soil con- 

 ditions obtained that is indicated in Cut No. 10, 

 and this uniform firm soil becomes warm, the seed 

 after being deposited in such soil quickly takes on 

 growth as soon as it germinates, and the single stem 

 with its leaf is up as indicated in the cut, the soil 

 moisture, temperature and plant food is so favor- 

 able that the rootlets shoot out among the soil 

 grains, branch and multiply very rapidly, and 

 each little rootlet sends out a mass of little hair 

 roots for feeders and the elements or food is 

 consequently gathered in, in very much larger 

 quantities than the little lone stalk and leaves can 

 utilize or assimilate. This plant food as taken in 

 must, however, materialize somewhere in some 



