CROP YIELDS AND PROPER CULTURE 39 



time to clean is at the first cultivation. Most of 

 the weeds in the row or hill which escape the first 

 cultivation cannot be covered or destroyed at suc- 

 ceeding cultivations. 



While it is not practicable to recommend any 

 system of cultivation which will suit all soils and 

 all conditions, the following plan for cultivating 

 surface-planted crops on land which is fairly mel- 

 low and not too trashy is very satisfactory. Soon 

 after planting go over with weeder or peg-tooth 

 harrow. If possible, harrow a second time. Cul- 

 tivate deeply the first time, throwing enough soil 

 to the plants to cover the weeds in the row. The 

 second cultivation should be a bit more shallow 

 than the first, while the third and fourth cultiva- 

 tions should be from shallow to medium deep. If 

 the third cultivation can follow the second cultiva- 

 tion closely it may be advisable, provided the weeds 

 were well covered at the first cultivation, to throw 

 the soil away from the row at the second cultiva- 

 tion and bring it back again at the third. 



After the crop is laid by, if heavy rains pack and 

 settle the soil, shallow cultivation with a single 

 horse cultivator may often give increased yields 

 and a clean field. Care must be taken not to cul- 

 tivate too deeply so as to injure the roots,- but 

 medium rather than very shallow cultivation at the 

 close of the season when the crop is laid by is pos- 

 sible. Late in the season, during the hot, dry 

 days of July and August, the soil will dry rapidly 

 and a deeper soil mulch is needed to conserve the 

 soil moisture and prevent the surface soil from be- 

 coming too hot. On the other hand, if the seed 

 bed has been well prepared, deeply loosened and 

 well pulverized, the plants do not require deep cul- 



