40 



Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



by frequent harrowing or cultivation, amounting, in fact, to a system of 

 fallowing. There are growers who do not believe in plowing at all, but 

 prefer thoroughly to disk and cross-disk wheat, oats, corn or other stubble, 

 harrowing and smoothing well before sowing. By this method, they claim, 

 the ground is not idle at any time, and as a good stand may thus be 

 secured, it is a waste of time and labor to plow. The success of this 

 method is doubtless somewhat dependent upon the amount of moisture in 

 the soil; but the method seems to be preferable to plowing a short time 

 before seeding. 



Plowing for spring sowing of alfalfa is usually done in the fall pre- 

 ceding, and the ground smoothed in the spring, although there are some 

 who wait until early spring to plow. Plowing for fall sowing is usually 

 done in July, or as soon as possible after the preceding crop of wheat 

 or oats or millet is off the ground. Some prefer to plow for fall sowing 

 in the spring, and fallow, as described above, until the time of sowing. 

 The depth of plowing may be about the same as for any other crop when 

 it is done long enough before the time of seeding, the average depth re- 

 ported being six inches. The closer to the time of seeding the plowing 

 is done, however, the more shallow it should be. As with all operations, 

 the better the job of plowing the better the results. 



Where land is plowed immediately before seeding it is necessary ar- 

 tificially to firm it. A soil packer or roller is a good implement to use 

 in this instance; but where such is not available it is the practice of 

 many growers to set their disks straight to pack, and to follow with plank 

 or log drags, alternating with the harrow, until the seed bed is in the 

 desired condition. In this connection it is well to remember that the 



FIG. 31. The better the job of plowing the better the results. 

 [Courtesy Janesville Machine Company.] 



