PLOWING 131 



fertility so the plant will have the elements that 

 feed it, and the loosened soil that can be success- 

 fully cultivated, and in which the plant can de- 

 velop its root system. Most of the plants grown 

 upon the farm have a fairly large root develop- 

 ment. It therefore is apparent that they should 

 have a considerable loosened soil space in which 

 properly to grow their roots. Bare is the plant 

 that will develop a large root system in close com- 

 pact soil, and rare is the plant that will come to 

 full maturity and harvest without the development 

 of a large root system. 



Soils in the progress of formation were kept 

 loosened up considerably deeper than they were 

 ever afterwards plowed, by the growing roots of 

 trees, plants, shrubs and wild grasses, and the 

 great amount of organic matter put into them by 

 these agencies. The roots of the vegetation men- 

 tioned pushed down into the soil in every direc- 

 tion and loosened it up more effectively than could 

 be done by any plow. And the great amount of 

 organic matter put into the soil by the decaying* 

 of vegetation kept it loose so that plant and tree 

 roots could properly develop, so thrifty and lux- 

 uriant vegetation grew upon these soils before 

 they were brought into cultivation. 



When cultivation began upon them and they 

 were subjected to years of crop growing, the or- 

 ganic matter in them was eaten up by growing 

 crops and they became compact. Year after year 

 they were plowed and cultivated to the same depth 

 so that there was formed under the plowing depth 

 a plow sole or a stratum of hard earth, through 

 which water slowly passes and plant roots cannot 



