Preparation of Seed-Bed and Planting 107 
up and mellowing of deep soil which winter-freezing will 
make congenial to crops; it secures a more complete 
decomposition of organic matter; it breaks up a cloddy 
and compact condition; it allows more of the winter 
rainfall to be stored ; it allows time to establish capillary 
connection between the plowed portion and the subsoil ; 
it makes possible the earlier use of sod land for the beet 
crop ; it exposes and kills many insects and fungous pests ; 
and by giving better conditions for decay it allows the 
best use to be made of manure applied in the fall. 
The mellowing frosts of winter bring about changes in 
the soil that would require a great amount of labor to 
accomplish. This is especially true on heavy land that 
is made friable only with great difficulty. 
One decided advantage of fall plowing in regions having 
heavy winter and spring rains is that the beet crop can 
be planted much earlier with fall than with spring plow- 
ing. If the farmer has to wait in the spring till the land 
is well dried before plowing, the season is far advanced 
before seed can be planted. Harrowing should follow 
plowing, after which enough time should elapse for the 
soil to settle before seed is planted. By this time the 
surface soil is dry and the seeds have to be planted 
deep in order to obtain the moisture necessary for ger- 
mination. 
In many regions it is the custom to plow beet land 
shallow in the spring after fall plowing. This has the 
advantage of killing weeds that come up early in the 
spring, and it leaves a mulch on the surface. It has the 
disadvantage of drying out the surface; it also entails 
considerable extra expense. Farmers in many of the 
