234 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



PREPARATION OF PLOWED LAND 



284. Treatment of plowed land. The treatment 

 of the land from plowing to planting is given with various 

 types of harrows. Special conditions may require the use 

 of compacting implements. The primary objects sought 

 for in the preparation of plowed land are (1) pulverizing 

 clods, (2) conserving moisture, (3) killing weeds, (4) 

 compacting the subsurface, and (5) leveling the surface. 

 The amount of harrowing that must be given the land after 

 plowing will depend upon (1) the character of soil, (2) the 

 condition of the land when plowed as well as its previous 

 treatment, and (3) the time at which the harrowing is 

 done. Clay soils require more fitting than loams or sands. 

 It is of the utmost importance that clay soils be har- 

 rowed as quickly as possible after plowing. One harrowing 

 within a few hours after plowing will accomplish as much 

 as three or four harrowings after the clods are dry. This 

 is especially true of soils plowed in late winter or spring. 

 Fall-plowed soils, if not planted to a cover-crop, are often 

 left in a rough condition until after the rainy season. 

 Under such conditions the tendency to run together in a 

 compact condition is not so great. Heavy soils that have 

 been plowed when too wet or that have been pastured 

 during rainy weather are prepared with extreme difficulty. 

 In fact it is almost impossible to secure an ideal seed-bed 

 under such conditions. This emphasizes the extreme 

 folly of such practices. A good loam or sandy soil, if 

 plowed when in proper condition, may require very little 

 harrowing to secure a good seed-bed. 



285. The disk-harrow. This is unquestionably the 

 best tool for pulverizing to a depth of several inches. The - 

 importance of pulverizing all clods in the seed-bed before 



