148 DRY LAND FARMING 



(2) On well established alfalfa crops in the early spring 

 in the absence of other methods of stirring the soil, and 

 in some instances after certain of the cuttings of the 

 same, the object being to destroy weeds and to aid in 

 maintaining moisture. (3) When preparing the land for 

 the second crop on breaking where it has not been back- 

 set, as such preparation gives longer time for the sods 

 to decay before they are brought up again to the surface. 

 (4) On summer-fallowed land where summer downpours 

 are not infrequent. When thus used the land should 

 be single disced lengthwise, and then crosswise, so as 

 to make little basins for catching the ^water. (5) On 

 sod land that is to be broken, especially if the work can 

 be done in the early spring, with a view to admit more 

 moisture and to make the land plow more easily later. 

 (6) On stubble land in the fall or early spring, that is 

 to be summer-fallowed, to encourage the sprouting of 

 weeds and the deeper penetration of moisture. (7) On 

 autumn-sown grain in the spring when the soil has be- 

 come so impacted that the harrow teeth cannot loosen 

 it sufficiently, in order to admit air and moisture. 



The disc should not be used as a rule: (1) On land 

 that is so loose that it does not require discing to make 

 it more friable. To use it thus would be labor lost. (2) 

 In preparing land for a crop for successive years on the 

 same land, or even in a single instance, when plowing 

 gives promise of better results. The disc works too near 

 the surface to make it effective in doing work that is 

 usually done with the plow. (3) On stubble land in 

 which winter wheat is to be drilled where the danger is 

 present that the wheat may be killed by the severity of 

 the weather. 



The cutaway disc cultivator, a modified disc, fre- 

 quently called the cutaway disc harrow, may render 

 substantial service under some conditions on the dry 

 farm, especially in fields where trash and sods abound. 



