SOIL MANAGEMENT. 27 



At first inter-tillage of maize may be fairly deep and close to 

 the row, but as the roots extend cultivation must become shal- 

 lower, and more restricted to the centre of the space between 

 the rows. In the early stage of growth, certain crops, like 

 wheat and maize, seem to profit by harrowing, especially when 

 heavily infested with weeds, or when small crusts have formed 

 after showers. 



Seeders may be looked upon as cultivators, since most of 

 modern make stir the soil while seeding. 



Packers and Crushers. — The action of the former is to 

 compact the soil, while the latter by crushing clods acts as a 

 pulveriser — the results having something in common. The 

 ijest known of these implements in the Union is the ordinary 

 barrel-roller, although experienced farmers are now using 

 types like the Cambridge roller, which is more of a sub-surface 

 packer. Hard, lumpy ground cannot be pulverised so easily 

 by the barrel roller as by a corrugated roller. The latter has 

 a number of V-shaped wheels, and in its action compacts the 

 soil and leaves a mulch. The clod crushers are either barred, 

 or more commonly, irregular-rimmed types of sub-surface 

 packers, but not so heavy. These break lumps and, unlike 

 the barrel roller, do not tend to push the clods into the soil 

 without breaking them. The planker or float consists of a 

 heavy, broad weight, which is dragged over the soil, the clods 

 are rolled underneath, and by being ground together, their 

 size is effectively reduced. " The soil at the same time is 

 levelled, smoothed and, to a degree, compacted." 



General. — With due allowance for the genuine difficul- 

 ties which are often encountered, it is generally true that 

 winter ploughing is not sufficiently undertaken in the summer 

 rainfall area. Winter ploughing permits of earlier planting, 

 makes the soil more receptive for the early rains, assists in 

 controlling insect pests and promotes weathering. 



Many of our farmers are unacquainted with some of the 

 more modern implements, the use of which would not only 

 facilitate their tillage operations, but would also prove 

 profitable. 



In some areas the soils are shallow and have extremely 

 raw sub-soils. In such cases ploughing should at first be 

 shallow and subsequently gradually increased in depth. Crops 

 grown on these soils injudiciously ploughed are often disap- 

 pointing in growth, having a stunted and yellowish appear- 



