CAMPBELL'S SOIL CULTURE MANUAL 85 



Surface, and if the seed bed is made fine and firm, as above 

 outlined, not more than one-third of the usual amount 

 of seed is necessary. Under these conditions place the 

 seed from a half to one inch into thefine firm soil, not over 

 that, and by all means if you are getting a new drill, pur- 

 chase the closed heel shoe drill or some drill that will leave 

 the seed in firm soil. 



SECURING IDEAL CONDITIONS. 



Cut No. 16 represents the most ideal soil conditions and 

 shows the effect of depositing the seed in its proper place, 

 with the closed heel shoe drill, the principal advantages 

 of which are set forth in the chapter on wheat growing. 



While our methods of summer culture involve some 

 little extra work over the old or more common methods 

 of summer fallow or general preparation for crops; yet 

 you must consider fully and carefully two points. First, 

 that the object of summer culture is not only to store 

 ample moisture below so that we may be able to . carry 

 our next crop through to maturity, no matter how dry the 

 season may be without ill effect from the droughty condi- 

 tion, but further to provide and steadily maintain such 

 an ideal physical condition of the soil during the entire 

 spring and summer, as shall permit of a most liberal 

 development of bacteria and nitrate or available fertility, in 

 order that we may grow and mature a very large crop of 

 whatever we plant, no matter what the season may be. 



What we mean by a very large crop is, two and three 

 times as much as the average farmer has been producing 

 per acre by the old or more common methods. Can this 

 be done? Yes; and we have proven it by repeated results 

 each year during seven consecutive years; beginning with 



