44 THE OLIVER PLOW BOOK 



whether or not the ground is in ideal condition for plow- 

 ing in the fall it can be turned over covering up the 

 vegetation so that it will rot during the winter, and in 

 the spring when the ground thaws the soil will be in 

 condition for the successful making of a seed bed pro- 

 viding it is not harrowed when wet. Care must be 

 exercised however, in fall plowing of clay soils, to leave 

 the ground rough because if it is left in a smooth con- 

 dition the surface soil will run together by the action of 

 the water in the spring, bake, and form a crust that will 

 be difficult to handle. The principle underlying all this 

 is simply the importance of permitting the surface 

 moisture to escape and holding that which is below in 

 the ground. If this idea is thoroughly understood the 

 handling of clay soils need not necessarily be difficult, 

 but one must have enough power on his farm and the 

 right kind of plow to do this work when moisture con- 

 ditions are right. The unfortunate part of putting off 

 plowing clay soils until spring is that the farmer is taking 

 one of three chances. The soil may be ideal for plowing, 

 it may be too dry or it may be too wet. When the soil 

 is ideal everything is propitious, no damage done. When 

 the ground is too dry it is impossible to make an ideal 

 seed bed on account of one of the two extremes the 

 ground plows up into either hard clods or fine dust. 

 When the ground is too wet the condition that has been 

 mentioned previously in reference to puddling of clay 

 soils obtains. It is doubtful whether one would take 

 such chances if he thoroughly understood the damage 

 he is doing by postponing the plowing. Of course, the 

 argument that farmers do not have time to fall plow 

 every year carries a great deal of weight because it is 

 absolutely true. But why is it not possible to plan a 

 crop routine in which this principle is taken into con- 



