154 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



cloddy after plowing, but keep a roller or some other good pulver- 

 izing implement in the field, and use it each half day as I plow. 

 It is a matter of the greatest importance in all operations con- 

 nected with the preparation of the soil, to do the work at the 

 right time. If .the roller or drag is kept in the field and used 

 on the fresh plowed land it will always pulverize the clods and 

 compact the soil so as to enable it to retain the moisture, while 

 it is often the case that where an entire field is plowed and left 

 rough and cloddy it will get in such a condition that the farmer 

 must wait for heavy rains before he can prepare a seed bed. A 

 light shower will moisten the smooth mellow surface of the 

 field that was rolled or dragged at the proper time, but will 

 have no perceptible effect on the rough field. 



I have spoken of dragging. The drag is a substitute for the 

 roller, and under certain conditions of soil will do better work. 

 It is the cheapest implement that can be had on the farm, and 

 no farmer should be without it. In fact, it will pay to have 

 two or three of different sizes. I always keep a light one to be 

 used with one horse in the garden, and also a two-horse one, 

 and the farmer who runs two teams should have one large 

 enough for four horses. There are two ways of making them, 



one by bolting plank to- 

 gether as shown in the 

 illustration. Here we 

 simply take two-inch 

 planks and bolt them 

 together with strong 

 carriage bolts, using 

 washers with the bolts. I find that four plank, ten feet long 

 and one foot wide, and two inches thick makes a very good 

 size for two horses. We lap the plank on to each other four 

 inches, and put the bolts through from below so as to have 

 the smooth head run on the ground and the tap above. When 

 this is completed it is three feet wide, and if it is not heavy 

 enough it can be weighted. If made of oak and the driver 

 rides, it will be about right, but if of pine or other light wood, 

 some weight will need to be added. 



BOLTKD PLANK DKAG. 



