98 AGRICULTURE 



First: To keep a soil-mulch on the surface and to prevent, as 

 far as possible, loss of soil water by evaporation. 



Second : To admit air to nourish the plant roots and to prepare 

 plant food. 



Third: To destroy weeds in order to prevent their robbing the 

 plants of food and water. 



Deep and Shallow Cultivation. The plowing and preparation 

 of land should be deep and thorough. After the crop is planted, 

 it is seldom wise to use deep cultivation. It dries the soil too far 

 down and breaks plant roots. Flat, shallow cultivation is usually 

 much better. The surface soil should be kept pulverized. 



Flat and Ridge Cultivation. Good farmers say that the best 

 tools for crop cultivation are cultivators and weeders with small 

 teeth that leave the surface smooth. This protects the land against 

 loss of moisture by evaporation and against leaching, washing 

 rains. On cold, wet soils, hill or ridge cultivation is of advantage. 

 As more surface is exposed, evaporation is more rapid. The rows 

 between the ridges also act as ditches to carry off surplus water. 



Time. Cultivation is most beneficial in the early stages of 

 crop growth. No amount of care or work later can make up for 

 neglect or improper tillage at first. In order to prevent the for- 

 mation of a surface crust, a crop should be cultivated as soon after 

 rain as is possible without injury to the soil. 



EXERCISE 



i . Lay off three plots side by side. In the first, break the soil to a 

 depth of three or four inches, plant corn in the rough, loose soil, and 

 do not cultivate. In the second plot, break the soil about six inches 

 deep, plant corn, and cultivate three times to a depth of about four 

 inches, as is done by some farmers who use a plow. In the third plot, 

 break the soil at least ten inches deep, make it fine, plant corn, and 

 cultivate the surface soil not deeper than two inches after each rain, so as 



