62 THE SOILS ANiD CROPS OF THE FARM. 



vided dry earth will have much effect in this direction. 

 Deeply stirring the soil causes the loss of more mois- 

 ture, injury to more roots and little increase in the 

 benefit in the way of checking evaporation. Com- 

 paratively shallow cultivation while crops are growing 

 is very generally better than deep^ cultivation. 



So long as the ground is kept free from weeds 

 and does not become hard or very compact, there 

 seems no good reason for constant or very frequent 

 cultivation. Many crops are injured by lack of suffi. 

 cient cultivation; more by improper cultivation; some 

 undoubtedly receive more than is profitable. The 

 labor of men and teams may be more profitably em- 

 ployed than by repeated culture of a field already free 

 from weeds and with the soil in good condition for 

 growth of the crop. The condition of the soil and the 

 crop is a better means of determining whether addi- 

 tional cultivation is needed than is the number of 

 times the land has been stirred. 



Of recent years there has been a marked increase in 

 the number and popularity of the tools which stir the 

 w-hole surface but only to a moderate depth, as com- 

 pared with the small plows or large shoveled cultiva- 

 tors, which stirred the soil to a greater depth. 



Hand hoeing of field grain crops is not common in 

 this country. The work can be better done than by 

 horse power, but the cost is too great. 



