Progressive Agriculture 87 



to stop it by disking again and cutting half or 

 three-fourths inches deeper. This turns a little 

 of the moist firm soil just beneath the mulch on 

 top, and by going at right angles with the wind, 

 the blowing can be stopped. We have done this 

 and completely succeeded in the face of a very 

 high wind, and still held the top against later 

 winds as the strips of live moist soil laid on the 

 top by the disk do not fall apart, but resist the 

 wind like small clods. Quite sandy soil cannot, 

 however, be safely summer tilled. 



For fall seeding the spring disking should con- 

 tinue from early spring up to the first to the 

 fifteenth of June, then plow, and if the land has 

 been cropped several times plow six to seven 

 inches deep and no deeper. But as referred to in 

 Class 4 of the "Suggestions", do not allow the 

 land to remain long after plowing without using 

 the sub-surface packer or the disk harrow set 

 straight and well weighted to help fill up the open 

 spaces in and firm the lower portion of the furrow 

 while it is still moist. 



THE PROBLEM OF WEEDS 



After plowing and sub-packing, the surface 

 mulch to the depth of 2| to 3 inches should be 

 kept loose but not too fine. Every possible pre- 

 caution must be taken from this time to keep 

 the mulch the same depth and allow no weeds to 

 grow. The weeds must be kept out and if they 

 are kept out and the surface continuously loose, 

 big crops will follow, but a few weeds will make 

 from 10 to 15 bushels difference in the yield of 



