THE PROBLEM OF TILLAGE 



the heaviest crops and has several dis- 

 tinct advantages over spring plowing: 



(1) It enables the land to absorb the 

 winter rains and snow, and so retains a 

 great deal of moisture. 



(2) It exposes the soil to the disin- 

 tegrating action of the frost, setting free 

 plant-food. 



(3) It permits the ground to settle 

 and so tends to form a mellow compact 

 seed-bed. 



But spring plowing will remain a uni- 

 versal practice because in the rush of har- 

 vesting, threshing, and hauling to mar- 

 ket, the farmer seldom has time to finish 

 the whole of his plowing in the fall. In 

 the springtime the land is generally in a 

 capital condition for plowing, but for the 

 best results two things are essential: (a) 

 packing the seed-bed and (b) following 

 with a harrow to form a soil-mulch. 

 Summer plowing may be done after the 

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