22 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 



condition, a team can turn a wider furrow than 

 when it is hard and dry. The skill of the plow- 

 man will be shown by the care with which he makes 

 all these different adjustments and varies them to 

 suit changing conditions. 



Harrowing. — In the preparation of the soil the 

 harrow is of almost equal importance to the plow, 

 but on most farms its use is not so well understood. 

 The intelligence of a farmer can be very accurately 

 gauged by the skill with which he uses this imple- 

 ment. In only too many cases the soil is turned up 

 in great hard lumps by the plow and these are al- 

 lowed to lie and bake for days in the sun before any 

 attempt is made to break them to pieces with the 

 harrow. In this condition the harrow can only 

 drag the clods about or jump over them as if they 

 were stones, and it is found impossible to put the 

 land in fit condition for planting until after soaking 

 rains. On lands that are intended for immediate 

 planting the harrow should always quickly follow 

 the plow. If the ground is moist enough to plow 

 at all, the clods and lumps will be easily broken or 

 cut to pieces by the harrow if it is used at once. 

 The surface of the fine mellow earth so formed soon 

 dries and forms a dust mulch which prevents the dry- 

 ing out of the lower layers, and so holds enough mois- 

 ture in the soil to secure the prompt germination of 

 the seed. The main use of the harrow is to put the 

 soil in such a physical condition that it can best 

 retain moisture for the use of the crop. If, for any 

 reason, a field is not planted as soon as it is pre- 

 pared, the harrow should be run over it again, to 



