CORN OB MAIZE 63 



water-holding capacity. The depth at which to plow 

 depends largely upon the preceding practices and upon 

 the nature of the soil. Deep plowing is to be preferred 

 since it increases the feeding area for the plant roots. 

 However, if the practice of shallow plowing, four or five 

 inches, has been followed for some time, it is not well to 

 turn up too much of the subsoil at one time. By plowing 

 an inch deeper each year until a depth of 8 or 9 inches is 

 reached, the small amount of subsoil turned up each year 

 will gradually be mixed with the surface soil and organic 

 matter, and thus running together or puddling will not 

 result. 



46. Time of plowing. — ■ The plowing for corn may be 

 done in the fall, winter, or spring. In order to determine 

 which is the most desirable time to plow a field, it is neces- 

 sary to consider both the advantages to be gained, and the 

 disadvantages that may result from the practice. These 

 will be taken up in the following paragraphs. 



47. Conservation of moisture. — The loose ground 

 turned up by fall plowing will absorb more water from the 

 rain and snow during the winter and spring than unplowed 

 land. Much of the water runs off from the surface if the 

 ground is not broken up. Not only will loose soil absorb 

 more water than hard unplowed ground, but less will be 

 lost by evaporation. Plowing breaks up the surface soil 

 and separates the soil particles so that the film moisture 

 cannot get hold of them and reach the surface to be lost 

 by evaporation. Fall plowing, while conserving moisture, 

 at the same time is conserving heat, for it enables the heat 

 of the sun in the spring to be used in warming up the seed 

 bed instead of being used in evaporation. 



48. Saving of time. — At the time fall or winter plowing 

 is being done, the extremely busy season is over ; thus the 



