PLOWING DOES NOT MAKE A SEED BED 



149 



of two bottoms, a right-hand and a left-hand plow. The use of 

 these plows enables the operator to work back and forth across 

 the field, throwing the furrow slices all the same way. He ascends 

 the hill as he progresses and leaves no back furrows fFie:. 86) 

 or dead furrows. 



While the walking plow is still used by many farmers, the sulky 

 type is coming into general favor. With its modern improvements A 

 the sulky plow lessens the draft, is simple to operate, and saves the 

 strength of the operator. 



Fig. 86. — The first round. The back furrow. 



The gang plow is also becoming a common implement (Fig. 85) . 

 With such a plow one man can operate two or more bottoms, and 

 it can be drawn with horses or a light tractor. This helps to solve 

 the labor problem. The three-bottom gang is a common light- 

 tractor plow, though on the smaller farms the two-bottom gang 

 is usually preferred. On large prairies, where immense tracts are 

 farmed, ten, twelve and fourteen-bottom, large-engine plows 

 have been in use (Figs. 87 and 88). 



Plowing Does Not Make a Seed Bed. — Seldom can a seed bed 

 be properlyprepared through plowing only — other tillage operations 

 are necessary, depending on the condition of the plowed ground, 

 the kind of crops to be grown, and the method of fertilization. 



