22 ^ ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



spring. Plowing clayey land that is wet is not objection- 

 able, however, if done in the fall and the field is not sown 

 until spring, as the thawing and freezing during winter 

 aid in pulverizing any clods that may form. Light sandy 

 or loam soil may be plowed when wet without any serious 

 trouble. 



Time of Year to Plow. — As a rule early fall plowing is 

 preferable, as it allows the ground to become settled before 

 the crop is sown, thus making it less likely to become too 

 dry during the summer. Early fall plowing also destroys 

 weeds by turning up new seeds, which start to grow in the 



Figure 8. — Rape growing in a stubble field. Such a crop may be raised for fall 

 feed at a very small cost per acre. Rape is excellent feed for any kind of stock 

 but milch cows. One might be justified in neglecting to plow such a field early. 



fall, and are soon killed by frost, while, if the same seeds 

 were turned up late in the fall, the plants would grow in 

 the spring and trouble the crops. Fall plowing also facili- 

 tates spring work, and, by leaving the soil exposed to the 

 elements, aids in liberating plant food. 



When Not to Plow in Early Fall. — If some catch crop 

 is growing in the stubble field, as clover, rape or rye, that 

 can be used to advantage for fall pasture, fall plowing — at 

 least early fall plowing — is not always advisable. The 

 green crop and pasturing will prevent largely the growth 

 of weeds, and the green crop checks to some extent the 



