48 AGRICULTURE FOR COMMON SCHOOLS 



Fallowing. — This method of tillage is no longer used as it 

 once was. In fallowing, the ground is plowed in the spring 

 and kept harrowed and cultivated during the summer. No 

 crop is planted. The harrowing and cultivating keep the 

 weeds down and save the moisture in the soil. Sometimes 

 the land is re-plowed two or three times during the summer. 

 The purpose of fallowing is to rest the land and increase its 

 fertility or to kill troublesome weeds. The land does not 

 exactly rest, but since it does not produce any crop there is 

 no draft upon its store of plant food and the plowing and 

 cultivating of the land loosen it so that the air and water and 

 bacteria can get at the soil particles and make more plant 

 food ready for use next year. The growing of the same crop 

 year after year on the same land caused it to run down and 

 made the need for rest. We now know that it is better to 

 change the crops on the field every year, that is, practice a 

 rotation. We shall tell all about rotations in another chapter. 



