cui.i rvATio 125 



1m» left bare during the winter, bid should be by some 

 in. mii- protected from the winter rains. Then 

 f. m mill thai will not be improved by baring their 

 surface protected during the winter months by growing 

 cropa or mulches, II. mw <i,i\ soili may, however, be 

 improved by f;ill plowing; as they often have a ten- 

 dency t<» form clods or lumps which are broken up 

 daring the winter by the action of the weather. Fall 

 plowing it also el benefit by destroying insects and 

 weeds. 



122. Cultivating the Crop. — After crops have begun 

 to grow they are often cultivated for the pUTpO 



>ying weeds which Bpring up along with the crop 



and rob the soil of much food. Such cultivation should 



consisi in frequently stirring the surface of th> 



with a cultivator, harrow, or hoc, care being taken not 

 to cultivate deep enough to Injure the roots of the 



growing crop. Plowing corn and hoeing tobacco or cot- 

 ton are familiar operation- i<» all who liave spent any 

 time on a farm. Now. besides destroying weeds, this 

 Sturfsce cultivation is of much benefit to the crop in an- 

 other way. Surface evaporation of film moist ur.. 



remember, take- place rapidly from exposed soils, and 



the method of cultivation of the three crops just men- 

 tioned leavei the loil somewhal bare; at least such is 

 the case during the first fei months of the crops' 

 growth. The Mirface cultivation >tirs up the first few 



-oil, which dry out rapidly and form ;i 

 of natural covering or mulch for the soil. It thus 

 6ervea as a check on surface evaporation, and has the 



