Farming with the Disk Harrow 



By F. H. DEMAREE 



Acting Agronomist, University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station 



In my opinion and that of everybody 

 connected with the crop and soils work 

 of this institution, the disk harrow is one 

 of the best implements which can be used 

 on any farm. 



It lends itself to a variety of uses. It 

 should always be used before land is 

 plowed in the spring for corn. Most of 

 the corn roots are found at a depth of 

 six to eight inches below the surface of 

 the ground. When land is simply plowed 

 without disking, it can easily be seen 



that the corn roots are lodged in the most poorly prepared part 

 of the seed bed. This is not logical nor practical. So, in my 

 opinion, all spring-plowed land should be disked before it is 

 plowed. There is no piece of machinery which will take the 

 place of the disk harrow for this purpose. 



The disk may also be used to a good advantage in preparing 

 the top seed bed for corn. In early-plowed land and fall- 

 plowed land, there is generally a crust and many clods form 

 before corn planting time. One of the best implements which 

 we have found so far in pulverizing these, is the disk harrow. 

 On sod land, it is nearly impossible to make a good seed bed 

 without the use of the disk. 



In Missouri where we often grow two crops in one season, 

 the disk harrow lends itself admirably to the second prepara- 

 tion of the soil. For instance, it is becoming quite common to 

 sow cowpeas after oats or wheat when clover has not been 

 sown in the spring. If the disk is used here as soon as the 

 wheat is cut, such lands can be prepared nicely for cowpeas 

 and will produce a good crop before frost. 



In preparing land for oats, it has been found at other 



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