E 



CHAPTER VII 



HARROWING AND CULTIVATING 



VEN the best plowing is but the beginning 

 of good tillage. Unless followed by thor- 

 ough harrowing and, for crops planted in 

 in rows or drills, by thorough cultivation, the har- 

 vest is likely to suffer. The necessary tillage sub- 

 sequent to plowing is of two kinds. The first is 

 fitting the land to receive the seed, by harrowing, 

 rolling, planking, brushing, etc. This tillage be- 

 fore the crop is planted, together with plowing itself, 

 is sometimes called "the tillage of preparation." 

 After the crop is planted the only kind of tillage 

 needed is cultivating, called "the tillage of con- 

 servation," because its chief function is to save, or 

 conserve, the soil water. This distinction is made 

 to emphasise one very important fact; that if the 

 tillage of preparation is judicious and thorough, 

 the tillage of conservation will be easy and effec- 

 tive. The best cultivating cannot atone for hasty 

 and imperfect harrowing. Many of the tools used 

 for harrowing are equally valuable, in a modified 

 form, for cultivating, since the main object of both 

 is the same to stir and fine the surface soil. 



OBJECTS OF HARROWING 



The plow leaves the soil in a rough condition, 

 too rough and hard, in most cases, for planting. 

 Some light sandy soils are so completely 

 pulverised and levelled by good plowing that 



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