PLOWING THE SOIL. 



Plowing is an ancient art. The height of a land's 

 civilization is very nearly to be measured by the 

 sort of plowing done there. What is plowing for"? 

 It turns under loose stubble, trash and vegetation, 

 putting it down into the soil where it may decay and 

 by its decay help set free mineral plant food. It 

 loosens the earth to let air in and this promotes im- 

 portant changes in the soil. It lets the water sink 

 down into the soil, hence plowed lands are moister 

 and will withstand drouth much longer than un- 

 plowed lands. 



There are certain crops that seems to thrive on 

 shallow plowed soils. Alfalfa, on the other hand, 

 seems to thrive best where the land is plowed deep. 

 In older lands than ours, where agriculture has 

 advanced very far towards a perfect system, deep 

 plowing is much practiced. In France some plow 

 a foot deep and even deeper. On the Island of 

 Guernsey men often plow a field twice, the first 

 plowing shallow, the second one crossways and go- 

 ing down as far as 16". On such lands alfalfa 

 thrives especially well. In France and Algeria men 

 plow for alfalfa full 20" deep. 



Why Deep Plouing Suits Alfalfa. — The reason 

 why alfalfa likes the land plowed deep is doubtless 

 because the letting in of air and moisture favors 

 the life of alfalfa-promoting bacteria. These 



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