ARID AGRICULTURE. 68 



of it, kills the weeds, saves the moisture, and cul- 

 tivates the crop. If the soil is hard or wet and 

 in such condition that the disc or harrovs^ teeth 

 leave open scratches and cracks instead of mix- 

 ing and turning the soil, the loss of water will be 

 greater than it would be without harrowing at 

 all. 



WKEN AND In summer tillage it is not necessary to har- 



H^BOW* ™^^ ^^'^ ground after every small rain, but it 



should not be neglected as soon as the ground is 

 in condition to work after every heavy rain or 

 melting snow. There are few crops raised by 

 the dry farmer which might not be vastly im- 

 proved by harrowing. We do not advise har- 

 rowing at all for sugar beets, as the special cul- 

 tivators are better to use. Corn, or any of the 

 small grains, will be improved by thorough har- 

 rowing up to the time they are four or five inches 

 or even more in height. Harrow native mead- 

 ows and pastures to break them up when sod- 

 bound and aerate these naturally compact soils 

 and to ciiltivate the grasses. Harrow late in the 

 fall, or winter, or early in the spring, lands in- 

 fested with grasshoppers or cut-worms or army 

 worms to kill the insects. When you cannot 

 think of any more important work, go to the 

 field and harrow. 



