32 FARM CROPS 



cloddy and hard, then disking, dragging and rolling 

 are necessary in order to fine and compact and 

 mellow the soil. 



HARROW RIGHT AFTER THE PLOW 



In the preparation of the soil, to harrow immedi- 

 ately after plowing is always advisable. A moist 

 clod is a good deal easier to break than is a dry, 

 hard one. The time to destroy clods is immediately 

 after plowing, while the soil is still damp and fresh. 

 Nor is it best to wait until morning nor to do it at 

 night after a day's plowing has been done. For sun 

 and air soon dry and harden ; and you make a mis- 

 take by a too long delay in working soon after 

 plowing. It is a good deal better to change from 

 plow to harrow four or five times each day, and 

 back again if you can do better work. 



Besides, it is more satisfying to you, and cer- 

 tainly more restful to your team, to change from 

 one kind of work to another rather frequently. And 

 it is most certainly true that you can greatly lessen, 

 the work of a seed bed preparation, by a good deal 

 of work, if you drag and harrow before the ground 

 gets hard and dry. 



WORK THE SOIL WELL 



All of this intensive culture pays. First, because 

 the plant starts better; second, because the soil is 

 in better physical condition; and, third, because 

 plant food has been better served for the needs of 

 the plant. 



A plant, for instance, has a good deal of trouble 

 to get nourishment out of a hard, stony, disagree- 



