MULCHING PLOW LAND 



209 



is the use of the harrow in the early stage of growth 

 of cultivated crops, by which the weeds are kept down 

 and a mulch created. If the practice is begun when the 

 plants are very young even before they appear above 

 the ground so that the formation of roots very near 

 the surface is prevented, it may be kept up to very a 

 advanced stage of growth without serious injury. 



ISO 



120 



110 



100 



00 



80 



70 



CO 



50 



40 



SO 



.YIELD OF CROP 



.MOISTURE IN SOIL 



< 5 



cr H 



=>" 



2 



J 1 



o > 



Fig. 66. Curves representing relative yield of dry matter and moisture 

 content of soil on field plots given different cultural treatments. (See Table 

 XXXVII.) 



But dragging only after the plants are good-sized may 

 cause serious loss. 



96. Mulching plow land. It frequently happens, 

 especially on heavy soil, that it is impracticable to 

 complete plowing before the soil, if left in its natural 

 condition, becomes too dry for the best results. In such 

 cases it is frequently practicable to quickly form some- 

 thing of a mulch by use of the disk or toothed harrow. 

 Further, this treatment creates numerous lines of weak- 

 ness which, although drying may progress further 



N 



