158 



TILTH AND TILLAGE 



yields are better, and grass, clover and alfalfa have a better chance 

 when grain js sown in drills. In general farming, the single disk 

 drill is the most common, because it can do first-class work in any 

 soil capable of being seeded. Many soils do not permit a satisfac- 



FIG. 100. Broadcast grain sower. 



tory use of the shoe drill, because the shoes do not scour. On 

 stony ground and in breakings full of roots, the hoe drill gives 

 especially good results. 



Broadcast sowers are in general favor in the oat and corn 

 sections (Fig. 100), and many are in use elsewhere. These imple- 



A B 



FIG. 101. Two other types of grain drills. .4, hoe drill; B, shoe drill. 



ments scatter the seed on the ground, and some other machine 

 must follow to do the covering. Some of these machines are broad- 

 cast sower and cultivator combined (Fig. 105) . Here the seed is scat- 

 tered over the loosened soil and is covered by the cultivator teeth. 



Many farmers, especially those in the oat sections, simply 

 broadcast the seed on unplowed and undisked corn land, then cover 

 the seed by disking. This is possible only where soils are fertile 



