Managing Clay Soils 



117 



relatively little expense. If it is clayey, tillage must 

 be nicel}^ managed for best results. Many people 

 expend more time and muscle on clay lands than are 

 required. The one important item is timeliness. When 

 the soil is betwixt wet and dry, it breaks as it turns 

 from the plow. Turn it up loose and open. Then 

 let it lie for a few hours or a day. As the clods 

 begin to dry, work roughly with a strong harrow, as a 

 spading-harrow, spring- tooth, or Acme. Do not try to 

 work it down fine. As the lumps begin to dry after 

 the next rain, hit them with the boot. If they break 

 and crumble, work the land again, this time with a 

 lighter harrow. A few timely workings when the soil 

 is just right will accomplish more than thrice the 

 labor at other times. Many people make the mistake 

 of tilling their clay lands until they become too fine. 

 Then a rain packs and cements them, and the trouble 

 begins all over again. Because sandy and loamy soils 

 are best when fine and mealy, people think clays must 

 be ; but clay is not sand. The addition of humus 

 enables one to make a clay soil mealy. 



Gradually, as the texture improves, lighter tools may 

 be used to maintain the surface mulch, — for the tillage 

 of maintenance really has no other primary office than 

 to keep the surface loose. When finally the wire- tooth 

 weeder can be used, the gardener may know that his 

 surface soil is in perfect physical condition. To most 

 general farmers the weeder is a useless tool, but 

 market -gardeners prize it, — which illustrates the differ- 

 ences in tillage between the common farm and the 

 market- garden. 



