PLOWING 137 



tain only to tractor plowing outfits, and upon soils 

 susceptible to packing. 



When we have secured the proper plows for our 

 farm we must have sufficient motive power to 

 move them and keep them going when the soil is 

 in the proper condition for plowing. A vast 

 amount of injury is done every year by plow- 

 ing our soils when not in proper condition for 

 plowing. Soil is only in proper condition for 

 plowing when it is neither too wet nor too dry, and 

 as the period when the soil is in proper condition 

 for plowing is so short, the importance of plenty 

 of motive power is apparent. 



Farmers figure that the keeping of more horses 

 upon the farm than is needed for the cultivation 

 and marketing of the crops grown, is expensive 

 and eats up too much of the profits of the busi- 

 ness. And there is truth in this contention. Yet 

 we must consider the damage resulting in not 

 breaking up our soils when in the right condition. 

 The problem is not without its difficulties and has 

 given the author more trouble than any of his 

 farm problems. He has felt that the true solu- 

 tion of the question is a light tractor, weighing 

 6000 pounds, or less, with a two or three bottom 

 plowing outfit, capable of coming up to the speci- 

 fications of the proper plow for the farm hereto- 

 fore given, and especially the specification as to 

 the packing of the soil. 



Such an outfit could be operated economically 

 and could be kept going night and day when the 

 right period for plowing is at hand. And then 

 when the plowing season was over it could be sub- 

 jected for many uses upon the farm, and even 



