226 DRY-FARMING 



small, they aid materially in enabling the young plant 

 to pass through the winter successfully. The rains 

 of fall and spring are accumulated in the furrows and 

 made easily accessible to plants. ^Moreover, many 

 of the drills have attachments whereby the soil is 

 pressed around the seed ajid the topsoil afterwards 

 stirred to prevent evaporation. This permits of a 

 much more ra])id and complete germination. The 

 drill, the advantages of which were taught two hun- 

 dred 3'ears ago by Jethro Tull, is one of the most 

 valuable implements of modern agriculture. On 

 dry-farms it is indispensable. The dry-farmer should 

 make a careful study of the drills on the market and 

 choose such as comply with the principles of the 

 successful prosecution of dry-farming. Drill culture 

 is the only method of sowing that can be permitted 

 if uniform success is desired. 



The care of the crop 



Excepting the special treatment for soil-moisture 

 conservation, dry-farm crojis should receive the 

 treatment usually given crops growing under humid 

 conditions. The light rains that frec^uentl)' fall in 

 autunm scjmetimes f(jrm a crust <jn the top of the soil, 

 which hinders the proper germination and growth 

 of the fall-sown crop. It ma}' be necessary, therefore, 

 for the farmer to go over the land in the fall vith a 

 disk or more preferabl}' with a corrugated roller. 



