164 FARMING ON FACTORY LINES 



delayed. If sown too soon, and the drought con- 

 tinues, the crop becomes either affected with mildew 

 or the growth becomes stunted in its early stage, and 

 never makes a full crop. 



Another feature of dry farming methods of import- 

 ance in a very dry season is this. After a prolonged 

 spell of dry weather, on the appearance of rain, the 

 land should be harrowed whilst the rain is actually 

 falling, instead of immediately sowing the seed. 

 The harrowing should cease, of course, as soon as the 

 land shows any signs of becoming pasty. Then, 

 whilst the soil is damp, the seed should be sown. 

 If the rain continues, there is scarcely any further 

 need of harrowing to cover in the seed. The rain 

 will wash it in, but as soon as the land is fit and to 

 give the seedlings a firm hold of the soil, the land 

 might be rolled. 



DRILLING WINTER GREEN CROPS 



The slow-growing crops, and if necessary the quick- 

 growing crops of winter greens, can be sown in rows. 

 Where this is desirable, the seed may be sown with 

 an ordinary drill or turnip sower, but a better way 

 is to broadcast the crop, and when it is in the rough 

 leaf, the cultivator can be run through, thus leaving 

 the crop in rows. 



By this method of sowing the farmer has an 

 alternative. If the crop grows well at the beginning 

 there will be no necessity for putting it into rows, as 

 the crop will effectively choke the weeds. 



