g6 THE FIRST BOOK OF FARMING 



THE FURROW SLICE 



In plowing, the furrow slice may be cut thin 

 and wide and be turned over flat. This method is 

 adapted to breaking new land and heavy sod land. 



It may be cut thick and narrow and be turned 

 up on edge. 



Or it may be cut of such a width and depth that 

 the plow will turn it at an angle of about forty-five 

 degrees. By this last method the greatest amount 

 of soil can be turned at least expense of labor; the 

 furrow slice can be more thoroughly broken ; the 

 greatest surface is exposed to the action of the air, 

 and plant food is more evenly distributed through 

 the soil. 



HOW DEEP SHALL WE PLOW? 



We learned in a previous chapter that the roots 

 of farm plants develop largely in that part of the 

 soil which is worked by the plow ; therefore, to have 

 as much tilled soil as possible for root growth, we 

 should generally plow as deep as possible without 

 turning too much of the subsoil to the surface. 

 Lands that have been plowed deep should be 

 deepened gradually by plowing up a half-inch to an 

 inch of subsoil each year until the plow reaches a 

 depth of at least nine or ten inches. 



There is an opinion among many farmers that 

 sandy soils should not be plowed deep. But as these 

 soils are apt to be leachy it seems best to fill them 

 with organic matter to as great a depth as possible 



