TILLAGE. 71 



CHAPTER VI. 



TILLAGE. 



The subject of tillage includes plowing, har- 

 rowing, and cultivating, and ea,ch will be con- 

 sidered by itself in the order given. It may be 

 accepted as true that as a rule the more thor- 

 oughly the soil is prepared before planting the 

 more satisfactory will be the crop returns. Too 

 many farmers plow, harrow, and cultivate in- 

 differently. The ground should be thoroughly 

 pulverized before the seed is planted. This 

 cannot be unless the plow is held back until 

 the ground is in shape to ha,ndle reasonably 

 well with both plow and harrow. 



Plowing. — For three successive years an ex- 

 periment has been continued at the Indiana 

 experiment station on deep and shallow plow- 

 ing for corn. The soil is a dark, compact loam, 

 with a deep layer of gravel about two feet be- 

 low the surface. The usual practice at the 

 station is for corn to follow on clover stubble, 

 which is plowed in the spring after the clover 

 has started growth. This corn was grown on 

 plats permanently located for that work, which 



