156 



DRY FARMING 



latter, and when they are present in any quantity in 

 stubble fields plowing for the succeeding crop either 

 in fall or spring becomes a necessity. 



129. The Desirability of "Working Down" Plowed Land 

 as soon as Possible after Plowing. — The farmer in humid 

 regions wants air in his soil in the fall. In order to pre- 

 vent the furrow settling down and becoming hard and 

 more or less baked, he leaves the fall-plowed land loose 

 and untilled. Dry farm soils, however, usually do not 

 suifer for want of air. The dry land farmer is more con- 

 cerned about saving moisture than about getting more 





Fig. 63. — Tractor Plowing on Stubble Land. 



air into the land. The dry parts of Western Canada do 

 not enjoy a humid climate, and unharrowed or unpacked 

 fall or spring plowing instead of settling down and bak- 

 ing usually dries out. 



On a new soil that did not blow the increase in yield 

 from one operation of the heavy harrows or two of the 



