CULTIVATION IN DRY AREAS 171 



some way during the process of growth. For a more 

 complete enumeration of these, see p 269. Such cultiva- 

 tion embraces harrowing, discing, renovating and culti- 

 vating by various implements and in various ways. 

 Grain crops, grass crops, forage crops and root crops all 

 come in for more or less of cultivation. More com- 

 monly the only cultivation of grain crops is given by 

 the harrow, that given to grass crops, as alfalfa, comes 

 from the disc and harrow, that given to forage crops 

 from the harrow and certain cultivators, and the same 

 is true of root crops and tubers. The exact character 

 of the cultivation suitable to each is given when dis- 

 cussing in succeeding chapters how these should be 

 grown. The object at this time is rather to discuss the 

 general character of the cultivation and the extent of the 

 same. 



Grains are harrowed to keep the soil open, for the 

 easier penetration of 'water, to prevent it from escaping 

 when it enters, and to aid in destroying weeds. The har- 

 rowing should seek to avoid burying the grain and tear- 

 ing too much of it out. Grasses are disced usually be- 

 fore growth begins. The severity of the discing or reno- 

 vating called for depends upon the excess, if any, in the 

 stand of the plants, their abilty to stand severe discing, 

 and the hardness of the ground. Nearly all grasses 

 will profit from an annual or biennial discing, as the sur- 

 face is thus loosened for the better admission of air and 

 moisture. Forage crops when too high to use the har- 

 row on them can only be cultivated further by imple- 

 ments that run between the rows. 



In humid* areas, shallow cultivation during the en- 

 tire period of the cultivation is recommended. The ad- 

 vice thus given is suitable, for under such conditions the 

 crops root relatively shallow. This requires some modi- 

 fication in dry areas, as crops root more deeply in 

 such soils. It would seem correct to say that the c^ulti- 



