CAMPBELL'S SOIL CULTURE MANUAL 157 



that no after cultivation can make amends for a poor 

 job of preparation of the soil. This applies with much 

 more force to the semi-arid belt than it does to the east- 

 ern sections of the country. 



In Illinois and other states of the Mississippi valley 

 the soil is more fertile and rain usually ample so that 

 no fertilizers are required and when the rains are ample 

 and timely two or three ordinary cultivations during the 

 growing period produce a good crop of corn, But even 

 there they are beginning to leased the value of conserving 

 the water by more frequent and timely cultivation, 'be- 

 cause of dry periods that are likely to come at any time. 

 They are also learning that the breaking up of the crust 

 which has formed on the surface after a rain is valuable 

 because it admits the air to the soil and makes the corn 

 grow better. But with us in the semi-arid belt, more at- 

 tention must be given to the preparation of the ground. 

 We cannot depend upon heavy rains to aid us in dissolv- 

 ing and settling our soil, consequently we must give 

 close attention to every part of the work. 



The first thing in order in the spring in the prepara- 

 tion of the soil for corn, is the early disking which should 

 be a double disking in order to thoroughly pulverize the 

 surface, bearing in mind that every act should be with 

 a view to storing and providing the greatest possible 

 amount of water in the soil. Early disking covers the 

 two important points referred to, that of preventing evap- 

 oration and opening up the surface to receive the later 

 rains. This done we simply wait for the proper time 

 for further preparation and planting, always being in 

 readiness, however, to loosen up the surface at any time 

 should we get a rain of any magnitude. 



