LOSS BY DEFECTIVE HARROWING. 185 



one to every 6 square inches, or to a space 2J inches apart 

 each way, the majority fail to germinate successfully and 

 perish in a short time; thus leaving not more than a fourth 

 of their number of vigorous plants to survive and make a 

 crop. One peck of seed on well prepared and ^fertile soil, 

 will cover the ground with plants thick enough to make a 

 yield of 50 bushels per acre at the harvest. Defective har- 

 rowing is the cause, then, of the loss of millions of bushels of 

 seed, and the reduction of the yield to the low general average 

 o/12 bushels of ivheat, and other crops in proportion, per acre. 

 This enormous loss, which is felt in the same way with ev- 

 ery crop grown, may very reasonably be held to be the suf- 

 ficient grounds for the common complaint that "farming 

 does not pay," and extinguishes to a most enormous extent 

 the possible nay the certain results of the farmers work 

 were it performed in a perfect manner. 



There are several kinds of harrows in use, some of which 

 are very inefficient and unfit for the purposes for which they 

 are used. The purpose of this implement is too commonly 

 supposed to be to smooth the surface, and to cover seed. 

 The first intention is rarely carried out because of the infe- 

 rior plowing, and the other can scarcely be consummated be- 

 cause the implement is by no means fitted for covering seed. 

 It does this in a most irregular manner by scratching small 

 furrows in the soil with which the seed is pushed by the 

 hinder teeth, and is partially covered by the superficial stir- 

 ring of the ground. The usually uneven surface of the 

 ground and the irregular motion of the harrows, interfere 

 greatly with this intended effect, and lead to the waste of 

 seed and the inferior yield of the crops above mentioned. 

 The common spike tooth harrow is the most objectionable 

 in this respect; but the objection prevails equally against 

 all forms of this implement y;hich merely tear the soil and 

 do not systematically pulverize the land ; compress, smooth, 

 and level the surface; and thoroughly mix and turn the soil; 

 and when used to cover seed, thus do not leave it under a 

 layer of fine mellow soil which might provide every requi- 

 site and desirable condition for its most perfect germination, 



