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during the 2 or 3 summer months. It is only necessary to harrow the 

 scaled field after the rain. 



In the Newrussian governments it is the custom to sow winter corn, 

 without previously preparing the field, after the first rain at the end of 

 august or during September. It is the custom also for that corn to give 

 a weak crop, because the roots of the growing plant quickly reaches the 

 limit of the humid layer, under which lies the dry layer, and their 

 growth is arrested untM the next horizon moistens, which may not happen 

 until autumn is well advanced. Winter corn may be sown on scaled 

 ground without any great risk, if the humid layer equals 50 or 60 c. m.; 

 but, as we saw before, such a humid layer is absolutely necessary in 

 order that the winter corn may bush by the advent of winter""). 



The field having been scaled soon after clearing up the cereal grasses, 

 requiring looking after; that is, harrowing after rain and repeated scaling 

 or turning over whilst weeds are growing. But whoever wishes to have a 

 cultured field must concern himself with the renewal of the reserve water 

 therein, immediately it has been spent; and the sole means of doing this 

 is to scale off the stubble immediately after reaping, between the unbourd 

 heaps of corn. In preserving water in the soil, by scaling stubble off the 

 field, and by subsequent tillage far into the autumu, the farmer rids his 

 field of large quantities of weeds and destroys their seeds. The autumn 

 weeds, which develope so riotously in certain years, exhaust the whole 

 of the atmospheric water whish enters the soil after the reaping of 

 the crop. 



By the term ^economical expenditure" of soil water should be 

 understood a condition preventing a simple drop of water from being 

 wasted on the growths of weeds, which the farmer must, by all means^ 

 destroy. But of course it is more profitable to destroy them while they 

 have not yet used up the priceless water which cultured plants must 

 have without fail, and before they have run to seed. This is the ideal to 

 which the farmer should constantly strive to attain. Therefore the field, 

 having been scaled after the harvest, must receive the same attention 

 as it wauld do under culture; then the sown field should be occupied 

 exclysively by cultured plants, and all the processes of their cultivation 

 thourough ploughing, hoeind etc) should facilitate the destruction of weeds. 

 For that reason fallow land should be ploughed in autumn or as early 

 as possible in spring, before the weeds have yet touched the reserve of 

 useful water. 



") Cereal grasses bush when their root system reaches a depth of 50 c. m. 

 (25 inches). 



