162 CAMPBELL'S SOIL CULTURE MANUAL 



can be handled so as to permit. But never plow when 

 the soil is dry. It is better to wait until spring and then 

 disk early as indicated above. It is impossible to put 

 too much stress on this point, and some farmers seem 

 never willing to accept the reports of others as to expe- 

 rience. Nothing short of paying the price of forty bushels 

 or more per acre of shortage will convert the average 

 man. 



A most beautiful illustration of the difference in crop 

 yield from moist and dry soil was developed near Verdon, 

 Nebraska, in 1906. The farmer had in the early spring 

 disked a part of a 1905 corn field to raise a new variety 

 of oats, but failing to get the seed, the entire field was 

 a^ain put to corn. All southeastern Nebraska was very 

 dry that spring. By the time the man was ready to plow 

 for corn, he found 'the undisked portion of his corn field 

 quite dry. The field was plowed crosswise of fb^ disked 

 portion. He was very much surprised to nna tne disked 

 portion moist when he began plowing, but very much 

 more surprised to get 67 bushels of corn per acre from 

 the disked portion and only 41 bushels per acre from 

 the undisked. The whole field was treated just the same 

 after planting. 



After your ground is turned over, and the necessary 

 work done to pulverize the surface, watch closely the 

 condition. Whenever any rain comes, even though it 

 only wets through the mulch or loose soil on top, it is 

 necessary to immediately stir it to dry it out. 



The importance of quick work after the surface has 

 been moistened, even by a slight rain, cannot be too 

 strongly urged. In the use of the check row planter the 

 difference in the time of germination, the rapidity of the 

 young plant in ground prepared as outlined under the 



