MANAGEMENT OF THE SOIL 37 



dig too deeply into the soil. If used at the right 

 stage of growth, it can be dragged over the young 

 plantlets with almost no injury, while the surface of 

 the soil will be left fine and mellow and the young 

 weeds will be destroyed. This gives a very cheap 

 and very effective tillage. By the time another 

 working is needed the plants will be big enough so 

 that the two-horse riding cultivator can be used. 

 This implement straddles the row% and it carries two 

 gangs of small shovels so arranged that they can be 

 guided by the feet of the driver. The ground on 

 both sides of tlie row is thoroughly stirred by one 

 trip through the field, and enough fine dirt falls be- 

 tween the plants to cover and kill any small weeds 

 that have found lodgment there. When this im- 

 plement is properly used at frequent intervals, very 

 little hoeing or other hand work will be required to 

 keep a field clean of weeds and in good tilth until 

 such a time as the crops shade the ground and tillage 

 is no longer possible. Different sizes and shapes of 

 shovels can be used on the gangs and they can be set so 

 as to throw more or less dirt to the row. In some im- 

 plements disk gangs may also be substituted for shovel 

 gangs. This is the most universally useful imple- 

 ment for tillage and is adapted to a wide range of 

 crops. There are, however, many others. A cheap 

 walking cultivator drawn by one horse is very com- 

 monly used, especially on small farms. The usual 

 form has five small shovels. The outer shovel on each 

 side may be replaced by curved steel plates that scrape 

 the dirt either from or toward the row. It is then 

 called a horse hoe. The implement is usually made 



