106 DRY FARMING 



80. Objections to Excessive Tillage. Of all the means 

 at man's disposal for improving soil conditions and 

 fostering the growth of useful plants, tillage is the most 

 expensive, the most practised, usually the most im- 

 portant, and generally the least understood. In this as 

 in other soil management practices the causes of lower 

 returns must first be determined and then the best means 

 of counteracting them put into practice. 



To till the ground when it accomplishes no good pur- 

 pose is useless and expensive and may be harmful. In- 

 tensive tillage to control weeds sometimes fails of its 

 purpose because it keeps the surface layer of soil too dry 

 for germination, while the same practice carried to ex- 

 cess in an effort to conserve moisture often defeats the 

 larger purpose of producing high yields, by putting the 

 soil into a condition in which it will blow. Jethro lull's 

 teaching that "tillage is manure" is true only up to a 

 certain point. Excessive tillage is not only not manure, 

 but it is often useless, always expensive and generally 

 economically unsound. 



Since society has developed into groups of people, 

 some doing one class of work and some another, crop 

 growing has become a business and crop production, in- 

 cluding tillage, has a business or a cost side to be con- 

 sidered. Tillage costs money; up to a certain point 

 suitable and timely tillage always pays; beyond that 

 point it is not good business. It need hardly be pointed 

 out that the common error is not in excessive tillage, but 

 in its being untimely, unsuitable or inefficient. Tli-' 

 problem of tillage is one of timeliness, suitability for the 

 purpose intended and efficiency of the operation. 



81. Implements of Tillage. The implements used in 

 tillage are of three general classes, (1) plows, (2), soil 



