20 



ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



packed and hard, and must be loosened to prepare it for 

 a new crop, if we desire to meet the conditions of nature. 



Plowing saves moisture for the next crop. When the 

 ground is packed, as it is when the crops are removed in 

 the fall, it is so hard that when it rains much of the water 

 runs off over the surface instead of settling down into the 

 soil. Plowing overcomes this difficulty, and by loosening 

 the surface, any moisture that may be in the subsoil (the 

 soil below the plowed furrow) is retained, because this 

 water cannot readily pass up through the loose plowed 

 soil. If the ground were not plowed, the soil moisture 

 would rise to the surface by capillarity, just as oil rises in 

 a lampwick, and when it got near the surface the sun and 

 wind would evaporate it. 



Plowing Destroys Weeds. — It is natural for all good 



soils to be producing some- 

 thing at aU times during 

 the growing season. As 

 soon as the crop is re- 

 moved (and very often 

 before) weeds begin to 

 grow. If no precaution is 

 takeii, they will go to seed, 

 and thus cause trouble 

 later. Plowing stops their 

 gro*wth. It also turns up 

 new soil to the light, and 

 weed seeds which have 

 been too deep in the soil 

 to grow, are brought near 

 the surface where they can 

 grow. If the plowing is 

 done in the fall these 

 weeds start to grow, but 

 do not have time to pro- 

 duce seed before they are 

 killed by frost. 



Plowing Destroys In- 



j^lgure 7. — First year clover growing in stub 

 • pas 

 many cattle are furnished, and is a benefit 



igurt 

 ble. 



Such a crop is better pasture than 



to the soil. It would be unwise to plow such sectS. Many iusects, SUCh 



one as stock ^^ grass hoppcrs and cut- 



a field early in the fall, 

 that can use the feed. 



