CHAPTER VI. 



TILLAGE. 



The farmer is called a tiller of the soil. Agricul- 

 ture is defined as the culture of the field. The soil is 

 no more essential to crop production than is the air, 

 water, heat or light. But the farmer can directly af- 

 fect the condition of the soil, making it more suitable 

 for crop production, and, through it, can make the sup- 

 plies of air, heat and water more helpful. 



The abundant natural vegetation in forest and on 

 prairie shows that tillage is not essential to the growth 

 of many plants. But nature is very prodigal in seed- 

 ing. Often not one seed in a thousand of those which 

 fall to the ground produces a plant. Most crops cul- 

 tivated by farmers would scarcely maintain themselves 

 without the aid of man. 



Objects of Tillage, — The chief objects of tillage 

 operations are: 



1. To prepare a suitable seed bed and properly 

 cover the seed sown. 



2 . To keep the soil in good condition during the 

 growth of the crop. 



3. "Tillage is manure." 



The first object is accomplished by stirring, pul- 

 verizing, often inverting the surface soil, and by cov- 

 ering grass, weeds, stubble or manure growing or de- 

 posited on the surface. 



The second object is generally accomplished by 

 keeping the surface loose and preventing the growth 



'- iof weeds, 



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