HARROWING, CULTIVATING 169 



when the soil is poorly drained, and when the crop 

 needs banking to secure a special result, as celery 

 to blanch the stalks, or potatoes to protect the 

 tubers that crowd out of the ground from being 

 sun-scalded. If potatoes are planted deeply enough, 

 however, all the tubers will form below the surface 

 and hilling is unnecessary. 



In the Southern States it is often thought neces- 

 sary to use two long narrow blades or "sweeps" 

 which cut large weeds just below the surface and 

 ridge the soil somewhat. In the same section a 

 cultivator with one broad blade, quite similar to a 

 plow, is used to throw enough soil over the large 

 weeds at the base of the corn or cotton plants to 

 smother them. This leaves the plants on rather 

 high ridges. It is extremely doubtful if the practice 

 is wise except, perhaps, on the heavier and wetter 

 soils. 



If corn, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, melons, 

 okra, peppers, cotton, and other heat-loving plants 

 are grown upon land that is inclined to be some- 

 what cold and wet it may pay to hill or ridge them ; 

 but there is abundant evidence that on soils that are 

 even fairly well drained this practice is a disad- 

 vantage. Very wet soils, especially creek bottom 

 land and meadow muck, are often cultivated in 

 ridges, beds, or hills with excellent results. In all 

 cases the ridges should be no higher than is nec- 

 essary to accomplish the purpose for which they are 

 made. Not only should hilling and ridging be 

 dispensed with on soils that are rather deficient in 

 moisture, but also the surface should be left as 

 level as possible, by using a shallow-working, narrow- 

 tooth cultivator. In a wet season it may pay to use 

 a deep-working, ridge-forming cultivator, on a soil 

 that is normally so dry that level culture is best for 



