60 IMPLEMENTS FOR SOIL PREPARATION 



board is used. In cultivating corn a small plow with two blades of 

 shovel shape is often used. Sometimes these blades are called 

 double shovels. Out of this has grown the modern cultivator, which 

 carries four blades or plows, two being on each side of the row of 

 plants cultivated. These blades are of several shapes and kinds, 

 according to the cultivation desired. 



Usually on the first plowing a thin tonguelike blade is used on 

 each plow shaft. They are called bull tongues. In the second 

 plowing the shovels are used, and on the third the diamond blades 

 are used and the furrows thrown towards the plants. A wide 

 piece of sheet metal is often attached to the cultivator in such a 

 way that the furrow slice is prevented from covering up the plant. 

 These are called fenders. These plowblades or shovels are attached 

 to the plow shaft by an iron pin at the top hole of the plowblade 

 and by a wooden pin at the lower hole of the blade bearing. In 

 timbered countries this is necessary to prevent the shaft from being 

 broken when roots or obstructions are encountered. 



Surface-working Tools. The plow does not usually leave the 

 soil in proper condition for planting. Frequently the plowed 

 surface is full of lumps and clods which must be pulverized before 

 planting can be successfully undertaken. The objects of tillage 

 are as follows: (1) to prepare a suitable bed in which sowing or 

 planting may be undertaken; (2) to cover the seeds; (3) to reduce 

 the soil to a proper degree of fineness; (4) to form a suitable mulch; 

 (5) to destroy weeds. 



Some of the principal surface- working tools are: the hoe, the 

 rake, the cultivator, the rolling colter harrow, the spring-toothed 

 harrow, and the colter-toothed harrow, etc. 



Compacting Tools. The compacting tools are drags, rollers, 

 and plankers or floats. They serve the following purposes: (1) to 

 pulverize the clods and lumps; (2) to level the ground; (3) to 

 favor the germination of seed; (4) to rendef loose and open soils 

 more compact; (5) to prepare the ground for the use of other tools. 



Compacting reestablishes the capillary connection between 

 the under soil and the air, but sacrifices the soil moisture at the 

 surface, as it quickly evaporates. But in its passage upwards the 

 soil moisture supplies the seeds with water and hastens germination. 



Time for Plowing. There seems to be a great difference of 



