304 DRY-FARMING 
of clearing sagebrush land. One of the oldest and 
also one of the most effective devices is two parallel 
railroad rails connected with heavy iron chains and 
used as a drag over the sagebrush land. The sage 
is caught by the two rails and torn out of the ground. 
The clearing is fairly complete, though it is generally 
necessary to go over the ground two or three times 
before the work is completed. ‘Even after such 
treatment a large number of sagebrush clumps; 
found standing over the field, must be grubbed up 
with the hoe. Another and effective device is the 
so-called ‘‘mankiller.”” This implement pulls up the 
sage very successfully and drops it at certain definite 
intervals. It is, however, a very dangerous imple- 
ment and frequently results in injury to the men 
who work it. Of recent years another device has 
been tried with a great deal of success. It is made 
like a snow plow of heavy railroad irons to which 
a number of large steel knives have been bolted. 
Neither of these implements is wholly satisfactory, 
and an acceptable machine for grubbing sagebrush 
is yet to be devised. In view of the large expense 
attached to the clearing of sagebrush land such a 
machine would be of great help in the advancement 
of dry-farming. 
Away from the sagebrush country the virgin dry- 
farm land is usually covered with a more or less dense 
growth of grass, though true sod is seldom found 
under dry-farm conditions. The ordinary breaking 
