HARROWING, CULTIVATING 157 



do most of their tillage with them up to the time 

 when the plants get too large to pass between the 

 long teeth without bruising. Since the weeder 

 stirs the soil no more than an inch and a half to 

 two inches deep, it should be supplemented with 

 the cultivator whenever the soil gets hard. This 

 is especially true on the heavier soils, which are 

 apt to get caked beneath the very shallow mulch 

 made by the weeder. The weeder is a special 

 purpose tool, as compared with the coulter culti- 

 vator, which is a general purpose tool. It is most 

 useful in growing crops under intensive culture 

 and on soils of the best texture. 



CULTIVATING TO KILL WEEDS 



How often to cultivate depends upon the nature 

 of the soil, the kind of crop, the dry ness of the 

 season, the prevalence of weeds, etc. It is a local 

 and personal problem. This much is certain; 

 one should cultivate often enough to keep down 

 weeds, at least during the early part of the season. 

 This advice would appear to be superfluous were 

 it not that so many farmers do not keep down 

 weeds. 



Weeds injure the plants and reduce the yield 

 in several ways. They crowd and shade the 

 plants, thus keeping part of the life-giving sunshine 

 away from them, making them spindling, like 

 forest pines which are drawn up to a great height 

 in their desperate struggle with each other to get 

 light. They steal food from the plants. Every 

 young corn plant that is being choked above ground 

 by the tops of weeds is also being jostled below by 



