HARROWING, CULTIVATING 155 



serviceable on the heavier soils. But the superior 

 value of shallow cultivation has been demonstrated 

 so conclusively that it is doubtful if the spring- 

 tooth cultivator has any advantages over the more 

 common coulter cultivator and spike-tooth culti- 

 vator, except for the specific purpose of loosening a 

 hard soil. It is not as efficient a weed killer as the 

 coulter type of tool. 



Sulky Cultivators. Probably 90 per cent, of the 

 cultivators used in the United States are walking 

 coulter or spike-tooth tools, or some gradation be- 

 tween the two. Sulky or riding cultivators are 

 used principally in the "corn belt" of the Missis- 

 sippi Valley and are seen occasionally in the East. 

 In most of them the teeth are in two gangs with a 

 space between for the row of corn or other plants. 

 Two horses are used, one walking on one side of 

 the row and the other on the opposite side, the 

 cultivator wheels straddling the row and the teeth 

 working on both sides of it. Sulky cultivators 

 nearly all have coulter teeth, but a few have spike 

 teeth, spring teeth or even disks. The coulter 

 teeth are preferable in most cases. Disks are apt 

 to work too deep close to the rows. Disk culti- 

 vators are excellent, however, for chopping up and 

 destroying large weeds, if the crop gets very foul. 

 Several different sets of shovels are usually pro- 

 vided, including extra shovels which may be 

 attached so as to run where the row space is left, 

 thus making a sulky harrow which stirs soil for its 

 full width and is used to prepare the soil for 

 planting. 



The chief advantages of a sulky cultivator 

 are that it covers more ground than a walking 

 implement and saves the strength of the farmer. 

 But it does not do as good work, as a rule, since it 



