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Tillage
An Excess Of Nitrogen
Too much nitrogen, due to heavy manuring or other cause, produces an excessive growth of stalk or straw, at the expense of grain production, in the case of corn, wheat, and other cereals. It produces a rank growth of potato vines and partial failure ...
Controlling Root-growth
The exception to the rule that plant-roots should not be pruned by deep cultivation is found in the case of a close soil in a wet season. The plants extend their roots only in the soil at the surface because the ground is soaked with water nearly all ...
Cultivation Of Plants
If a soil would remain mellow throughout the season, there usually would be no reason to disturb the roots of plants by any deep stirring, and all tillage would be only deep enough to make a mulch of earth for the retention of moisture and to destroy ...
Desirable Physical Condition Of The Soil
Successful cropping of land is dependent upon favoring soil conditions. The plants to be grown must have ease in root extension, so that their food may be found. There must be moisture to hold the food in solution. There must be air. There must be de...
Elimination Of Competition
Weeds pump the water out of the soil, use up available plant-food, and compete for the sunlight. Tillage is given for several reasons, and one is the destruction of weeds. A weeder which stirs the soil only an inch or two deep is an excellent destroye...
Method Of Plowing
The depth of plowing should be fixed largely by the amount of organic matter in the soil. It is essential that a good percentage of this material should be mixed throughout the soil, and when it is in scant supply, the depth of plowing usually should ...
Subsoiling
The theory of subsoiling always has been captivating. Most soils are too shallow, inviting injury from drouth. Enthusiasm regarding subsoiling comes to large numbers of farmers at some time in their experience, and a great number of subsoil plows have...
The Breaking-plow
Land containing enough clay to give it an excellent soil inclines to become firm. During the growth of a crop, when plant roots fill the soil and prevent deep stirring, the particles pack closely together, limiting the power of the land to make fertil...
The Disk Harrow
The purpose of the plow is to break up the soil so that it will be crumbly and mellow. The frequency with which land should be thoroughly stirred to full plow-depth depends upon the condition of the soil and the character of the crops. Oftentimes a di...
Time Of Plowing
In great measure the time of plowing is determined by the effect upon soil moisture, and is discussed in the next chapter. ...
Types Of Plows
The kind and condition of the soil, and the character of the crop, determine the type of plow to be used. A plow with a short and quite straight moldboard does not bury manure and turf in the bottom of the furrow so completely as is the case with a lo...