14 



BULLETIN 320, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table VI. — Preparation for corn, showing farm practices in regard to times and 

 depth of plowing and the use of plows of various sizes in twenty-one regions 

 of the United States. . , 



[The key letters under "Region covered" refer to counties and States as follows: A=Tipton, Ind.; B= 

 Montgomery, Ohio; C= Mercer, N. J.; D= Moultrie, 111.; E=Tama, Iowa; F= Kalamazoo, Mich.! 

 G= Maury, Tenn.; H= Hartford, Conn.; 1= Bradford, Pa.; J= Christian, Ky.; K= Hamilton, Nebr.; 

 L= Rockwall and Gravson, Tex.; M=Scotland, N. C; N= Augusta, Va.; 0="Waushara, Wis.; P= 

 Bates, Mo.; Q=Alexander, N. C; R=Oklahoma, Okla.; S=Pike, Ala.; T=Holmes, Miss.; TJ= 

 Russell, Kans.] 



3 



Fall plowing. 



Spring plowing. 



Fall and 

 spring plow- 

 ing. 



Farmers 

 turning 

 furrows — 



Farmers using plows 

 drawn by — 



cb 



J3 



tab 

 KJ-9 



s 



Month. 



© 



o 



b£ 



> 



< 



o 



cl 



ft . 

 bi 



<J 



5.2 



3 



3 



1=1 



Month. 



,4 



ft 

 <d 

 ■a 



co 

 60 



c3 



tH 



CD 

 > 



< 



& 



ft . 



M .S 



a 



3 



Average 

 depth. 



i 







CO 



be 

 ■O 



CD 



a 

 







CO 



M 



O 







CO 



CO 









a 



o 

 'Si 



o 



Ph 



"3 



bi 



03 



CO 



Eh 

 O 



A 



P.c. 



24.1 



. 10.3 



28.1 



32.2 

 12.0 



3.8 

 46.7 



8.0 

 21.4 

 53.8 



8.0 

 33.3 







28.6 

 50.0 

 40.0 



7.1 







4.8 



4.0 



4.0 



Nov 



Nov., Dec. 

 ...do 



Sept., Oct. 



Oct 



...do 



Sept.,Nov. 

 Oct 



Oct., Nov. 

 Nov 



Oct., Dec. 

 Sept., Dec. 



In. 

 6.5 

 7.5 

 6.3 



5.7 

 5.0 

 7.0 

 7.9 

 7.0 

 6.7 

 7.2 

 6.0 

 6.8 



P.C. 



75.9 



89.7 

 71.9 



67.8 

 88.0 

 96.2 

 40.0 

 92.0 

 78.6 

 38 5 

 92.0 

 37.5 

 94.7 

 71.4 

 50.0 



Mar., Apr. 

 Mar.-May. 

 Jan., Mar., 



Apr. 

 Apr., May. 



...do 



...do 



Mar 



Apr., May. 



...do 



Apr 



Mar., Apr. 

 Jan., Feb.. 

 Jan.-Apr.. 



...do 



May 



In. 

 6.7 

 7.4 

 6.3 



5.3 



4.8 

 6.6 

 7.7 

 7.4 

 6.0 

 6 6 

 5.8 

 5.6 

 5.3 

 7.8 

 5.5 

 5.7 

 5.9 

 5.1 

 6.3 

 4.8 

 5.3 



P.c. 



In. 



In. 



P.c. 

 100 

 96.6 

 96.9 



88.1 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 100 



"39." 5 



100 



100 



100 

 92.9 

 47.6 

 28.6 

 12.0 

 12.0 



P:c 



P.C. 



P.C. 



6.9 



27.6 

 50.0 



1.7 



P.c. 



82.8 

 69.0 

 34.4 



28.8 



56.0 



61.6 



40.0 



24.0 



25.0 



76.9 



4.0 



4.2 



2.6 



28.6 



50.0 



32.0 



P.C. 

 6.9 

 3.4 



15.6 



67.8 

 40.0 

 26.9 



P.C. 

 3.4 



B 

 C 



3.4| .. 

 3. l 





D 



F, 



.... 







11.9 





1.7 

 4 



F 



13.3 



7.5 



'd'.O 







7.7 

 60.0 

 76.0 

 71.4 

 23.1 



3,8 



G 









H 











T 



"7~7 



29." 2 

 5.3 



"9.6 



"7.'6 





3.6 







T 







K 



...... 



96.0 

 74.9 





L 

 M 



6.7| 7.6 

 10.2! 5.0 



100 



60.5! 23.7 



1 



25.0 

 78.9 

 71.4 

 42.3 

 12.0 

 100 

 42.8 

 42.8 

 68.0 



a 8. 3 



N 



Nov., Dec. 

 Oct., Nov. 



8.6 



5. 5 

 6.0 

 6.0 







O 









7.7 

 56.0 





P 



60.0 





. .1 







Q 



Nov 



57.2 

 81.0 

 90.5 

 88.0 

 96.0 



Mar., Apr . 

 Jan.-Apr. . 

 Jan.-Mar. . 



...do 



Mar., Apr. 



35.7 

 19.0 



4.8 

 8.0 



7.8; 4.0 

 6. 2 1 4. 8 

 10.0 4.0 

 6.0 4.0 



7. i 35.7 

 23 8 



71.4 61.9 

 88.0 4(1 





R 



57.1 



14.3 





R 



Nov 



...do 



...do 



10.0 

 8.0 

 5.0 





T 









n 



88.0 







100 



















1 Engine and gang plow. 



In sections where little vegetable matter is plowed under, a type 

 of plow is often used which leaves the furrow slice on edge instead 



of completely turning it over. 

 This practice of edging the fur- 

 rows is very common where 1- 

 horse plows (fig. 5) are used, as 

 in the hill regions of Alabama 

 and Mississippi, or where middle 

 busters and listers are used for 

 breaking, as in Kansas, Texas, 

 and Oklahoma. 



The depth of breaking land is 

 largely governed by the type of soil. Sandy or loam soils, unless 

 underlain with stiff subsoil, are usually broken deeper than the heavy 

 clay soils. 



The size of plows used is regulated by the- type of farming prac- 

 ticed, the topography, the type of soil, and the general prosperity 

 and condition of the community. In the South Atlantic States crops 

 are grown which require much hand labor. Loamy soils predominate 



Fig. 5. — A 1-horse turning plow, commonly 

 used for breaking land in the Southern 

 States. 



