PREPARING SPRING PLOWING 



packing it. The surface of spring-plowed land is easily 

 pulverized, especially if it is harrowed soon after it is plowed. 

 For this reason, a spring-plowed field may appear, from the 

 surface, to be in 

 excellent condition, 

 when in reality it is 

 in very poor condi- 

 tion, as the surface 

 may be thoroughly 

 pulverized and the 

 lower part of the 

 furrow slice still im- 

 properly pulverized 

 and packed against 

 the subsoil. 



A good deal of 

 disking and harrow- 

 ing is necessary to 

 prepare a spring- 

 plowed field for 

 corn. A practice 

 that is followed by 

 many careful farm- 

 ers is to disk the 

 land thoroughly be- 

 fore plowing. The 

 pulverized surface, 

 when turned over, is 

 more readily com- 

 pacted against the 

 subsoil than land 

 which is not so pulverized. This is especially true of sod 

 land, for the stubble and other vegetable matter on the sur- 



Fig. 18. Hills of corn at maturity. 

 Note that the roots have now penetrated 

 to a depth of 4 feet. See Figs. 16 and 17 



