The answer is easy. Stop up the leaks. Follow the binder with a 

 disc harrow. That implement forms a mulch that effectually closes 

 up the little openings, and at the same time works into the soil the 

 stubble. You have accomplished three very important things. First, 

 you have checked the escape of moisture, second the surface is made 

 mellow, an essential condition in the event of rains. Third, you have 

 worked the stubble into the seed-bed so that when the plow turns the 

 furrow slice the trash will not act as an insulation to prevent capillary 

 attraction. 



The next step is plowing. The sooner the ground is plowed after 

 harvest the better, provided that the plow is followed with implements 

 calculated to place the soil in a condition to store and conserve mois- 

 ture. If the ground is plowed and left loose and lumpy, it would be 

 better not to plow it at all until seeding time, unless the plowing is 

 done late in the fall. 



The harrow, disc or packer should follow the plow if the plowing is 

 done at any time other than just before winter sets in. If the ground 

 is lumpy and much trash exists, the disc gives the best results. If the 

 soil is well pulverized, harrowing is sufficient. If the ground is locse 

 and lumpy, a subsurface packer should be used. On light soil, a cor- 

 rugated roller firms the surface, and at the same time leaves the soil 

 in little ridges, a desirable condition to absorb rains. 



Kind of Implements to Use 



In this connection, I desire to emphasize the necessity of using the 

 right kind of implements. It must be remembered that thorough 

 work can be accomplished only by having good, suitable tools, and 

 without them the dry-land farmer will fail. The plow should be a 

 keen cutting steel implement, capable of turning a furrow Sh or 9 

 inches. The disc harrow is indispensable both before and after plowing. 

 A double disc is preferable to the single. A disc is, on account of the 

 sharp blades, very searching. It pulverizes and packs the soil uni- 

 formly from the surface to the bottom of the furrow. 



The subsurface packer is of great value as a pulverizer of both sur- 

 face and deep clods, packing the soil to a depth of se/eral inches. 

 Often there are lumps or air spaces at or near the bottom of the fur- 

 row and unless they are crushed and the air spaces closed up, capil- 

 lary water will not come from the deeper subsoils to the seed-bed. 

 Again, plants gather food and moisture from the soil particles which are 

 coated with moisture, holding plant food in solution. If lumps exist, 

 the delicate roots are unable to penetrate them, but spread over the 

 surface, securing the benefit of only a small per cent of territory in 

 the seed-bed. The particles of soil are so small that it requires one 

 thousand or more laid side by side to make an inch, hence, if a lump 



