72 MUCK CROPS 



raising or lowering the clamp on the axle. 

 A plow of this kind should be equipped with 

 a standing cutter clamped to the beam, and 

 extending to the full depth of the furrow, 

 and braced against the extreme front end of 

 the point. With the cutter kept very sharp 

 and with sufficient power, roots 5 or 6 inches 

 through may be cut off if they are firmly 

 embedded in the soil. If they are not, they 

 will be shoved out of the ground. If there 

 is a stiff sod, it is sometimes well to use a 

 rolling coulter ahead of the standing cutter* 



In determining the depth of the furrow, a 

 grower is governed by the depth to which the 

 roots of the wild vegetation penetrate the 

 soil, remembering that if these roots are 

 very shallow the reason is that the lower soil 

 is so sour that it will not sustain plant life. 

 The best way to judge this is by the char- 

 acter of the wild vegetation. If the weeds 

 are rank and with heavy stems and green 

 leaves, it is pretty safe to assume that the soil 

 is not very acid. If, however, it is stunted 

 and consists of fine grasses and sphagnum 

 moss, it is a sure sign of acidity. 



If it is possible to do so without turning 

 up sour soil, it is much more satisfactory to 



