SPECIAL FARM TOPICS 237 



the evaporation of moisture. The reason for laying so much stress 

 upon following the plow immediately with the harrow is to prevent 

 the loss of moisture from the irregular surface. Level culture with 

 a fine even surface has proven the best method for conserving mois- 

 ture and for most crops this condition is the most favorable for 

 root development and expansion. There may be conditions of a 

 peculiar nature where this rule will not hold good, though it is diffi- 

 cult to think of such a condition. 



Level culture should mean not only a level surface exposure 

 when the work is completed but it should also be made to mean the 

 cutting or stirring of a slice or layer of the surface to practically 

 the same depth at all points. This is usually best accomplished by 

 using a long, flat blade which is run so as to cut an even depth and 

 at the same time stir the soil before it falls back in position. An- 

 other means almost as effective is the use of a large number of small 

 shovels. Even small shovels leave an uncut ridge underneath, and 

 a slight corrugation on the surface. Large shovels are extremely 

 harmful since they leave the surface in great ridges and portions 

 of the uncut under-surface exposed to the air. 



Seeding. All seeding and planting should be done with a 

 machine that will deposit the seed in the moist soil at an even depth 

 and leave a loose surface over it. The depth at which the seed 

 should be sown will vary with the size and viability of the seed 

 quite as if sown under humid conditions, but in dry farming the 

 seed must be deposited not a certain depth below the surface of the 

 soil, but a certain depth below the top of the moist soil. This is an 

 important point. Not infrequently, deep planting will be required, 

 but there is little danger in planting deep under dry farming con- 

 ditions for the reason that the young plants readily push to the 

 surface through the loose dry surface mulch. 'Should the seed be 

 deposited in the dry surface mulch it will lie there until a shower 

 comes or until the moisture from below is brought up to it by rolling 

 or other similar treatment. 



Pure Seed The profits of dry-land grain production are much 

 increased by using only pure seed, and a great many failures are 

 due to the use of inferior varieties or impure seed. If the seed 

 planted is of more than one variety, losses are likely to follow on 

 account of irregularity in the time of ripening, which results in the 

 shattering of large quantities of the early-maturing grain. Further- 

 more, mixed grain is never as likely to command top prices as grain 

 of one variety. The inadvisability of planting grain containing 

 weed seeds is too well known to require extensive discussion. In 

 selecting seed grain the farmer should obtain the best-known variety 

 grown in his locality or in a locality of similar conditions. He 

 should see that the seed is as nearly as possible of one variety and 

 that all weed seeds and light or shrunken kernels of grain are re- 

 moved from the seed before planting. The cleaning is quickly and 

 easily done by the use of a common fanning mill, which can be 

 purchased for about $40. This simple machine should be included 

 in the equipment of every grain farm. 



