Tillage. 107 



out this I could not well plow as I do. Too much grass would be 

 on the surface. Now I have only clean, mellow soil to harrow down . 

 If one side of the furrow edges that stick up had grass on, it 

 would make a pretty mess. There are fields this wet season that 

 now (June) are green with grass nearly all over. There is hardly 

 a spear on mine. Difference, a jointer sharp and properly set. 

 Besides, if a sod is all buried you get all the plant food ; if it isn't, 

 you do not. Then loose bits of sod are in the way of using a 

 smoothing harrow or weeder on corn or potatoes, and look badly. 

 I make it a rule to be at home and tend to my business, but once 

 did go away to speak when my man was plowing. He had 

 worked for me before and I got him started all right. But the 

 plow got to going wrong and the jointer did poor work, and when 

 we got through harrowing, my field was spotted with bits of sod. 

 Well, my man was kept for a day or two picking up the bits. 

 Five minutes' time and a little care and gumption would have 

 saved all this ; but the care and gumption had gone off lecturing ! 

 I figured that I lost more than I made, as usual. I never yet had 

 a man that could set a plow right and keep it so, or fix it if it 

 didn't go just right. A good plow should run itself for rods 

 at a time, with just a touch now and then. It should not be 

 " held," much less wrestled with, as is often done. I speak only 

 of walking plows. Sulky plows are not the best for our small 

 fields and soil. 



Many have been sold in this town, but one by one they drop 

 out of sight, and those who praised them highly at first, fail to 

 use them any more. I have never yet seen one that did as perfect 

 work all through as we do, and, of course, they take more power. 

 If I were old and lame I might use one, putting on an extra horse ; 

 but my men are young and can walk cheaper than I can furnish an 

 extra horse. I use, and have for years, an Oliver chilled 40 X 

 plow. It was the only one I could find that would do good work 

 ten inches deep in my soil. 



We never use a plow at all without a wheel on it to regulate 

 the depth. In riding through the country I see many do not 

 have them on. One man told me, " Well, I guess I can hold a 

 plow myself yet," when I asked him why he did not use a wheel. 

 Yes, he might spade the ground and not get a plow, even. The 

 \vheel gives one a uniform depth of furrow, just what you set it 

 for, if the point is sharp, and repeated experiments have proven 

 conclusively that the wheel decreases the draft. Instead of wres- 

 tling and laboring to " hold " a plow, get proper attachment sand 

 set them right and walk along easily, whistling, and guide it with 

 a mere touch now and then. " How would your wheel work 

 among the hills when plowing potato or corn stubble.? " some 

 one will think. I would not have the hills. Nearly level culture 

 is best for drained land, and all land should be drained for these 

 crops. And then it is a question whether it is best to use a com- 



