PLOWING ^OD LAND 



61 



70. Preparation of Spring-Plowed Sod Land. A large 

 part of the land that is planted to corn must, for various 

 reasons, be plowed in the spring. To get the best results 

 from spring plowing, the conditions obtained by fall plowing 

 must be dupli- 

 cated as nearly 

 as possible. One 

 of the chief diffi- 

 culties with 

 spring plowing is 

 that the soil does 

 not have a 

 chance to settle; 

 it is, therefore, 

 likely to be so 

 loose that it 

 dries out readily, 

 while at the same 

 time the move- 

 ment of moisture 

 from the subsoil 

 up through the 

 furrow slice is 

 somewhat re- 

 tarded. One of 

 the most com- 

 mon ways of 



putting spring-plowed land in the desired condition is tc. 

 harrow and disk it several times after plowing to aid in 

 packing it. The surface of spring-plowed land is easily 

 pulverized, especially if it is harrowed soon after it is plowed. 

 For this reason, a spring-plowed field may appear, from the 

 surface, to be in excellent condition, when in reality it is in 

 very poor condition, as the surface may be thoroughly pul- 

 verized and the lower part of the furrow sHce still improperly 



Figure 18. — Hills of corn eleven weeks from planting. 

 The roots have now penetrated to a depth of 2H feet. 

 Compare with Figures 17 and 19. 



