Tillage. in 



more, which will stand freezing and thawing best. I would make 

 soil almost as fine and compact for corn, if ground was dry, but I 

 would not think of doing it for potatoes. Roots grow best, as a 

 rule, in fine, firm soil, but, if one makes it firm early in the season 

 for potatoes, it is likely to get settled and hard, so the tubers can- 

 not expand readily, and one cannot loosen it in the hills. In a 

 very dry spring, however, we take this risk, and firm the ground 

 to insure a better start. I like the ground made very fine and 

 firm in dry weather where I am going to set out strawberry 

 plants. I use the harrow and roller alternately to make it firm 

 after it is fine enough. Plants can be set out in the driest time in 

 such soil, and grow right along without any watering. But not 

 a bit of firming was needed this year, with any amount of rain to 

 settle it. One must be very careful not to compact wet or even 

 moist ground, unless it is sandy. Do the best we can, we will 

 make mistakes often, but if we understand just what we are 

 working for we can certainly average better than if we do not 

 think at all. Let me tell you, for your encouragement, of a little 

 mistake in tillage I made this year. We put in part of our pota- 

 toes the last week in April. It was plenty dry enough. I have 

 always made it a rule to not roll any faster than we plant. (We 

 always use roller just ahead of planter.) It is not safe. Rough or 

 harrowed surface will hold heavy rain better and dry off quicker. 

 Well, Saturday after we had got part of potatoes in, the prospect 

 seemed so favorable that I told my son to roll the rest of field 

 ready for planting first of week following ; I would take the risk. 

 I was anxious to get them in as soon as possible. Part of that 

 land laid there for five mortal weeks before we could use a harrow 

 or cultivator on it, as it rained almost constantly. I lost money 

 by it and considerable of self-respect. I knew better than to take 

 the risk. 



Now this leads naturally to another point mentioned in the 

 beginning of this chapter tillage to prevent water from flowing 

 off on surface and cause it to soak down and pass off through 

 tile drains or through a porous subsoil. Thus we save the fer- 

 tility in it and save surface wash of some of the finer particles 01 

 our soil. More water ran off that rolled field than off of the 

 rest. In fact, none practically ran off of the other. The rougher 

 surface held it until it could soak down. We did not happen to 

 have any great pour downs or many tons of water would have 

 ran off from the higher portions of lot and accumulated in the 

 drained low places, giving them a great excess. During the 

 wettest times I send practically no water from my cultivated land 

 to the river, except the steady flow from tile drains filtered water 

 that has paid full toll to my crops. When cultivating, all through 

 the season, we work with this end in view. We strive to have a 

 loose surface, and nearly level, to catch the rain and hold it from 

 running off. Of course, a heavy thunder shower on rolling land 



