Campbell's 1902 Soil Cultuke Manual. 



83 



CULTIVATION. 



With your crop in the ground under favorable conditions, then comes 

 the important work. There is no better tool in the early cultivation than 

 the harrow or weeder if you will use it freely and with some judgment. 

 The long toothed weeder may be used from the time the crop is planted 

 until the tops are too large to draw through between the teeth, providing 

 vou catch the soil in just the proper condition, especially in the average 

 sand loam soils. Should you get a very heavy rain that may result in 

 packing the surface to a considerable depth, then it will be necessary to 

 cultivate with some fine tooth cultivator, as in cultivating corn, but in 

 such a case it is well to follow the cultivator closely by crossing the rows 

 with the weeder. This more completely fines the mulch as well as levels 

 it. also loosens the soil among the vines and cleans the young weeds. 

 Watch closely the condition, however, and be sure to keep the soil stirred 

 deep enough, even if it is necessary to use the cultivator; a mulch of fine, 

 loose soil of fully two and a half inches in depth should be kept as soon as 

 the potato tops get to any size, and the soil should be stirred often enough 

 to keep the top of the firm soil beneath the mulch in a moist condition. 

 This condition can be kept if you have moisture stored below and do not 

 plant too thick and watch your time of cultivation. Upon the care and 

 attention given over to this part of the work depends the quality and 

 quantity of your crop. Don't stop cultivation when they are in blossom, 

 but don't destroy the roots. Try to carry through the condition as near as 

 possible as shown in cut No. 6. 



ALFALFA. 



Alfalfa, like all other crops, thrives best under the most favorable 

 conditions. There is probably no point in the raising of alfalfa more im- 

 portant than that of securing a good stand. It seems almost impossible, 

 in fact climatic conditions must be very favorable, in order to get a catch 

 of seed in reseeding spots among well rooted plants. There is no seed that 

 responds, or returos greater rewards for a good seed bed than alfalfa, and 

 yet it is a very simple proposition, and if the proper course is pursued and 

 good seed used there is practically no question about securing a good 

 stand. On the high divides in many localities in Nebraska and Kansas 

 alfalfa is being raised quite satisfactorily, the only difficulty generally 

 being an uneven stand. The summer culture plan by which one season's 

 rain is stored in the ground, and the soil carefully prepared as outlined in 



