CHAPTER VII 



When to Plow 



THE reader who has carefully perused the preceding 

 pages has observed that fall or spring plowing is not 

 an academic question to be decided by debate. But 

 one which must be decided by every farmer. 



Enough has been said to bring out the important fact 

 that as a rule clay soils are better plowed in the fall and 

 sandy soils in the spring. However, many contributing 

 factors such as humus, freezing, amount of rainfall, 

 plowing under green crops, moisture conservation and 

 killing insects and weeds enter the problem. No man 

 except the one who understands the soil under consider- 

 ation and purpose of plowing can give an opinion worth 

 while. 



As a general rule fall plowed ground can be worked 

 earlier in the spring than unplowed ground. Nature 

 has a curious habit of causing plants to grow and prosper 

 in certain seasons of the year. The nearer crops can be 

 planted to that season of growth the greater is the 

 prospect for a successful crop. Late and backward 

 springs often prevent the planting of the seed until quite 

 late. The fact that fall plowed ground left in a rough 

 state dries out much more rapidly in the spring than 

 unplowed ground gives the advantage of getting onto 

 the ground earlier in the year. This offsets in a measure, 

 the baneful influence of a backward spring and also 

 enables the farmer to do his disking and harrowing 



