CORN OR MAIZE 65 



of combating them. The practice of fall plowing interferes 

 with the winter resting stage of many other insects, chief 

 among which are the corn-bill-bug, corn-root louse, grass- 

 hopper, wire-worm, and the corn root webworm. 



51. Puddling. — Tenacious soils, or soil with little or 

 no organic matter, if fall plowed, will sometimes become 

 hard and compact by spring. If plenty of humus is fur- 

 nished the soil by the application of barnyard manure or 

 by the turning under of green manure crops, little puddling 

 will result from fall plowing. 



52. Washing. — When the ground is steep to the extent 

 that losses of the soil are likely to occur by surface wash- 

 ing, fall plowing is not generally recommended ; but if the 

 ground is slightly rolling, plowing at right angles to the 

 slope will reduce the amount of washing. The slight 

 ridges produced by the plow will have a tendency to 

 prevent washing, and much of the water will be absorbed 

 by the loose soil. 



53. Loss of plant food. — Since no crop is growing on the 

 land in late fall or early spring, certain elements of plant 

 food that have become soluble may be washed from the 

 soil. The loss in this way is not great, however, and rarely 

 is the loss of plant food from this cause sufficient to pre- 

 vent fall or winter plowing if other conditions are favorable 

 for the practice. 



54. Spring plowing. — If fall plowing cannot be prac- 

 ticed, then it is best to plow as early in the spring as possible. 

 Unless plowed early in the spring, the soil, which has been 

 packed down by the rain and by freezing and thawing, 

 will permit the water from below to reach the surface and 

 be lost by evaporation. Land plowed late in the spring 

 is usually dried out to such an extent that a fine seed bed 

 cannot be secured. When barnyard manure or a green 



