2 BULLETIN 320, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



growing a crop of corn is the elimination of weeds, but these studies 

 gave no information as to the reason for the great variation in tillage 

 practices prevailing in the different sections of the country. It was 

 quite natural, therefore, that the work originally undertaken should 

 lead to a study of these variations in local practices, with a view to 

 ascertaining the fundamental causes of existing differences, and of 

 determining whether these differences were due merely to difference 

 in the weeds which must be combated or to difference in economic 

 conditions in the various agricultural sections of the country. 



The fact that the local practice in the preparation of the seed bed 

 for corn varies as widely as do the local practices with reference to 

 intertillage itself suggested that the differences in methods of inter- 

 tillage were due not merely to differences in the weed population. 

 It was therefore decided to extend the study so as to include local 

 practices in the various agricultural regions having to do with the 

 preparation of the seed bed, as well as the intertillage of the corn 

 crop. It was recognized that on the average the farmers in the dif- 

 ferent agricultural areas had worked out methods of tillage which 

 were at least fairly satisfactory under their conditions, and it was 

 therefore believed that a study of these various methods which have 

 proved profitable through long experience in various localities, and 

 studies of the conditions under which they prevailed, might lead to 

 the discovery of the factors which control differences in local prac- 

 tice. As will be seen in the following pages, this expectation was 

 fully realized. 



These studies were made in selected regions (fig. 1) which include 

 in a general way all important corn-growing sections of the country. 

 In selecting these regions it was the aim to choose those having con- 

 ditions and methods which are representative of large areas. The 

 studies herein set forth, therefore, give the reader a broad, general 

 idea of the tillage methods actually employed in corn growing. Inci- 

 dentally, the yields related thereto are also given. 



In all, 21 regions were covered. About 25 representative farms 

 were studied in each region. A record was taken from each farmer 

 visited, showing in detail his tillage practices with corn and also the 

 general practices and conditions on his farm. The detailed results 

 of these studies are presented in tabular form. The general infor- 

 mation is first presented and then the tillage data. 



The records for each region were tabulated and the averages as 

 presented in Tables I and II will give the reader a good general idea 

 of farming conditions in the regions under discussion. Other tables 

 are presented which relate to plowing, planting, subsoiling, and mis- 

 cellaneous tillage operations. 



A table relating entirely to tillage is given for each section. This 

 table shows in detail the tillage operations for corn after plowing 



