116 The Principles of Vegetable- Gardening 



the tool is not the first consideration, — it is not the 

 unit. The unit is the work to be done or the con- 

 dition to be attained. A farmer may not ask, there- 

 fore, whether he shall buy a spading-harrow : he 

 should consider his soil and what he wants to do with 

 it, and then search for the tool which will do the 

 work best. 



The plow is the primary or fundamental farm 

 implement. It is the general -purpose machine. Its 

 office is to prepare the land, not to maintain it in 

 condition. As a class, stiff and heavy soils require 

 heavy plows and deep plowing. Sandy soils may be 

 the better for shallow plowing, for it is often desir- 

 able to compact the subsoil rather than to loosen it. 

 There are conditions and conditions. 



Plowing has two general offices : {a) to break and 

 pulverize the soil to fit it for the growth of the crop; 

 (&) to begin the preparation of a seed-bed in which 

 the plant may get a start. In the plowing of the 

 sandy soils mentioned above, it may be the second office 

 which is sought : only a good seed-bed is desired, for 

 the land is loose enough without the plowing. In the 

 clay field, both offices are sought. Not deep plowing 

 nor shallow plowing is a principle : it is only a means 

 of accomplishing a desired result. The unit is the con- 

 dition which is to be secured in the particular soil. 



The seed-bed is finished by the harrow. The soil 

 is maintained in tilth by the harrow. The harrow, 

 therefore, is an implement both for preparing and 

 maintaining the soil condition. If the soil is light, 

 loose or sandy, tillage presents few difficulties and 



