under, the surface soil will not be separated from the subsoil to 

 stop the rise of water; third, to produce a soil mulch on dry 

 land so that after a week or ten days, it can be easily plowed, 

 the moisture by this time having accumulated below the mulch 

 and softened up the land; fourth, to form a mulch of fine dirt 

 which fills up the spaces usually left between the furrowed slice 

 and the ground beneath, thus making the foundation for a fine 

 compact seed bed. 



In the spring we are all in a rush to get our crops planted. 

 Our plow teams are overworked and even the best farmers 

 often fail to thoroughly prepare their land. It is much better 

 to take time by the forelock and disk the land and then break 

 it deep during the fall and winter. The plow stock are rested 

 and the weather is cool. When the land has been broken dur- 

 ing the fall and winter and for some time prior to planting, the 

 cotton seed bed can be quickly and easily made by arranging 

 the disk harrow for an inthrow and by adjusting the inner 

 ends of the gangs higher than the outer. With the harrow so 

 arranged, a man and two good animals can make much better 

 seed beds and do the work more quickly than several men in 

 the old fashioned way. 



Cotton comes up quicker, grows faster and begins bearing 

 sooner on a well-settled, firm seed bed, consequently it is not 

 wise to plant cotton or other crops on freshly plowed land. 

 When the beds have been made by the use of the middle 

 burster or turning plow for some time before planting, it is 

 usually necessary to remake them and destroy the little grass 

 and weeds by arranging the disk harrow for an inthrow and 

 adjusting the inner ends of the gangs considerably higher than 

 the outer. 



If the land has been flat broken and has been compacted by 

 heavy rains, the disk harrow is the most effective tool for the 

 preparation of the seed bed. When the ground has been 

 plowed for some time and is covered with grass and weeds, the 

 disk harrow will destroy the weeds and make a most excellent 

 seed bed for all kinds of crops. The soil that is in clods when 



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