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 heavj^ 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 injur}' 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 heavv railroad irons to which 

 a number of large steel knives have been bolted. 

 Neither of these implements is wholly satisfactory, 

 and an accej^table 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 ^'irgin dry- 

 farm land is usually covered with a more or less dense 

 growth of grass, though true sod is seldom found 

 under drj'-farm conditions. The ordinary breaking 



