INTERTILLAGE 



299 



Repacking After Plowing.— If land is broken only a short time 

 before seeding time it should be repacked by the use of a harrow, 

 planker, or roller. Much packing is not desired for potatoes, but 

 for other garden crops the roller or other packer should be used 

 and this followed by a spike-tooth harrow. If heavy rains come 

 after spring plowing they will pack the soil enough, particularly if 

 the soil is rather heavy. 



Packing the soil establishes the capillary connection between 

 the top furrow slice and the moist soil below. This will prevent 

 much of the injury from drouth. 



Fig. 208.— A young orchard grown under the clean culture cover crop system on rather 

 level land. (Indiana Station.) 



Keeping the surface loose is probably the most important 

 factor in successful tillage of garden and orchard soils (Fig. 208). 

 It prevents crusting and baking and large clods are not formed. 

 The loose soil on the top will serve as a mulch and prevent the 

 escape of moisture by evaporation. 



Intertillage should be frequent, and in most cases it may be 

 rather shallow in the garden. It may be done by use of small- 

 shovel cultivators which are very sharp at the points. The use of 

 wide shovels leaves the ground too much in ridges and allows it to 

 become too dry. Keep the surface reasonably level and finely 



