296 DRY FARMING 



and barley have usually given better yields on disked 

 corn land than upon land that has been plowed. This, 

 together with the fact that disking is cheaper than plow- 

 ing, makes disking corn land generally the most profit- 

 able method of preparation for small grain. Discing 

 potato land is probably as good a preparation for small 

 grain as disking corn land, and there are undoubtedly 

 other intertilled "crops such as peas, beans and peanuts 

 that will serve the same purpose. The sorghums, how- 

 ever, do not le'ave the ground in as favorable a condition 

 for the crop that is to follow as the other crops men- 

 tioned. (Bui. 268— p. 22). 



243. The Use of the Lister in the Fall. — The practice 

 of ridging with a lister as a substitute for fall plowing, 

 and cultivating down level without the use of a plow in 

 the spring has been tested at most of the stations as a 

 preparation for all of the small grain crops considered in 

 this bulletin except winter wheat. It has usually pro- 

 duced as good or better yields than fall plowing. Its 

 lower cost has madte it in many instances nearly or quite 

 as profitable a method as disking com stubble. In addi- 

 tion to its low cost it has the advantage of catching and 

 holding the snow and checking soil blowing during the 

 winter and of arresting run-off. 



When the lister is used in preparing land for winter 

 wheat, the listing is done immediately after the harvest 

 of the preceding crop. The soil is worked down level, 

 usually with a disc, in late summer or early fall and then 

 seeded with an ordinary grain drill. Very little differ- 

 ence in average yields between listing and plowing have 

 been noted except at Hays (Kansas), where the ad- 

 vantage is in favor of listing. (Bui. 268 — p. 22). 



244. How and When to Plow. — The comparative aver- 



