144 DRY LAND FARMING 



and which in dry areas, because of its slow decay, pre- 

 vents the soil moisture that is below from properly as- 

 cending. (3) On land that is dry and cloddy at the time of 

 plowing, whether plowed fall or spring. The aim should 

 be to avoid plowing land when in that condition in dry 

 areas. When it must be plowed, the disc should usually 

 precede the plow as, when it does, the proportion of 

 fine earth is increased that falls at the bottom of the 

 furrow slice, which so far is favorable to moisture re- 

 tention. 



The packer usually follows the plow the same day 

 that the land is plowed, and in some instances at the 

 end of each half day, to prevent rapid escape of mois- 

 ture. The harrow should at once follow the packer. In 

 many instances, the packer should be weighted in order 

 to firm the land sufficiently. More commonly, stones are 

 used for such weighting. 



The subsurface packer should not be used: (1) On 

 soil that is sufficently moist when it is plowed, unless in 

 the case of land that is normally deficient in moisture- 

 holding power. (2) On fall plowed land which, under 

 normal conditions, will become sufficiently firmed below 

 by the time that the season has arrived for sowing in 

 the spring. Much of the bench land in dry .areas is of 

 this class. Especially is this true of such of them as 

 contain much lime, gypsum, granite and more or less 

 sand. To use the packer on such land is liable to dp 

 serious harm, as it may put the lower soil in a condition 

 which prevents the easy penetration of the roots of the 

 plants through it. To keep such soils sufficiently loose 

 is more important than to firm them. (3) On lands 

 that are naturally overtenacious, as stiff clays- and gumbo 

 soils. 



The claim that soil should be packed with the sub- 

 soil packer to prevent precipitation from going too far 

 down in the subsoil is not tenable save in soils that are 



