20 



It is to be remembered in cultivation generally, 

 that level cultivation is always desirable. Any tool 

 which leaves the land ridged and furrowed to any 

 considerable extent exposes just that much more 

 surface to the drying effects of sun and wind, and 

 increasing to that extent the amount of moisture 

 escaping directly into the air by evaporation. There 

 are some crops under some conditions with which 

 it may be advisable to slightly ridge or hill the rows 

 after cultivation is completed. For the most part, 

 however, the more level the surface of the soil is 

 left, granting it is kept well stirred, the more satis- 

 factory will be the result. 



In conclusion, something should be said in regard 

 to the care of the cultivating tools. Anything like 

 a complete equipment represents the investment of 

 considerable capital and the value and efficiency of 

 the tools will be greatly prolonged by good care. 

 All cultivating tools should be sheltered from sun 

 and rain. Moisture causes rot and decay in the 

 wooden parts and rust and corrosion in the iron 

 parts. The sun warps and cracks the wooden parts 

 especially, destroying proper adjustments and open- 

 ing the way for more rapid decay. Both the iron 

 and wooden parts of all tools should be painted once 

 every year or two years at most, and the shovels, 

 moldboards, etc., of the plows and cultivators 

 should always be cleaned and oiled when the work 

 of a given period is over. All parts should be kept 

 tight if satisfactory service is to be expected. The 

 disks of the disk and cutaway harrows and the 

 plowshares of the plows should be kept sharp. 

 Hoes and some of the various types of hand weed- 

 ers must also be kept sharp in order to give the best 

 results. 



