GROWING GRAIN CROPS IN DRY AREAS 219 



Land that is summer-fallowed will consist of break- 

 ing or of land that has been previously cropped. The 

 method of handling is practically the same, and it is 

 in outline as follows: It should be plowed when it 

 has the largest amount of moisture in it. This, in the 

 Plains country and in the prairies northward, will occur 

 between the opening of spring, and, say, the first of 

 July. June is the favorite month in which to do the 

 plowing, as then the soil will probably have the largest 

 amount of moisture in it, and in that month the farmers 

 have time for such work. Where the precipitation falls 

 in the late autumn and winter, the plowing should be 

 done as soon as the moistened soil conditions will admit 

 of doing the work. 



The plowing should be deep on nearly all kinds of 

 soil. The exceptions are light, sandy soils, and shallow 

 soils underlaid with unresponsive subsoil. Such plow- 

 ing may be costly at the first, but in the lapse of years 

 the extra cost will be more than repaid. 



When the land is thus plowed in the Plains region, 

 it should at once be compressed, preferably the day that 

 it is plowed. The objects sought in thus compressing 

 it are, first, to so smooth and firm the surface that the 

 implements of tillage that are to follow, especially the 

 harrow, will do more effective work, and, second, to press 

 the loosened soil so that the air and sun will not draw 

 moisture so readily from the soil. But in areas where 

 the precipitation comes mainly in the winter, such com- 

 pression may under some conditions prove detrimental 

 on certain soils. The aim in plowing these thus early is 

 to allow moisture to penetrate them easily at a season 

 of the year when the moisture is but little drawn from 

 the soil. 



The implements that will best serve these ends will 

 depend, to a very considerable degree, on the character 

 and condition of the soil. In some instances the smooth 



