Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-03-21
The Work OF the Harrow.

A"o "orh OF thc haFEo"s
There is no farm tool that occupies
larger place In the work of the farm
than does the harrow. Its popularity
mas grown as agricultural knowledge
has increased. 1t is now used oftener
and in more places than ever before.
A generation ago each farmer thought
one harrow sufficient for all his needs;
but now the scientific agriculturist
feels that he can invest in several with
profit, obtaining thus tools that will
do perfect work under almost any con-
ditions likely to arise on the farm and
on any soils.
Year by year the farmer is coming
to understand better that he must
make war on the clod. The pillow ere
ates 1t; the harrow alone can destroy
1t. In 1t is locked up the pant food
that should make a part OF his reve-
nue.. The clod resists the roots Of the
plants and they run around 1t. If it
lies on top Of the ground it dries out
and the humus in it is destroyed to
the extent Of its exposure to heat.
Whether in the soil or above it. the
clod. like stone, occupies valuable
shuts off light from the soil under
it. II 1t is in the soil it lies in that
part (near the surface) where the room
Is most needed for the development Of
roots. On heavy soil clods often &C.
cupy very large percentage Of the
ground, both on the surface and under
it. This is equivalent to putting that
amount Of ground out Of cultivation,
which means. in turn, proportionate
decrease of the crop.
There is only one way of getting
rid OF these clods, and that is by use
OF the harrow. BY this implement the
clods are pulverized on the surface
and for two or three inches in the
ground. The feeding area is thus in
creased, and the ground brought into
condition where it can be used as a
starting bed Tor the tender shoots first
sent out by the seeds. insufficient har-
rowing is often the cause Of great loss
in the crops. Where the ground is
inclined to be lumpy and the harrow
ing has been only imperfectly done, the
air Is admitted to the ground in all
directions and through spaces so large
that the moisture Is dried out or a
considerable portion of the soil. This
drying out renders it exceedingly diff
hcult for the seeds to get foundation
in which to develop their shoots. Many
instances of this kind might be cited.
In one case in the mind of the writer
sod had been turned over for corn.
The narrowing was so imperfectly
done that whole burrows of the turned
sod were separated from the subsoil
to an extent that permitted the air to
move through and under them and dry
out the earth. The season was dry,
or rains might have washed down
enough soil to fill up the open spaces.
As 1t was, the corn crop proved to be
failure, except where the kernels OF
corn fell into the bottoms of the fur
rows. Elsewhere, the kernels sprouted
and sent up feeble stalks, which never
obtained enough moisture to reach
maturity or form ears. BY sufficient
narrowing the soil would have been
pulyerized sufficiently to establish the
action OF capillary water throughout
and the whole corn crop would have
been fed. Doubtless the farmer in the
instance mentioned lost enough money
on this one crop to have purchased a
good many harrows.
The harrow is the enemy Of weeds
and fha r,ncf pntanf factor In daStro,,
ing them. Before even the top OF the
tiny weed gets to the surface of the
ground the harrow goes over them, II
the narrower is on the alert, and they
are destroyed. Their tender rootlets,
which were just getting fixed In the
soil, are loosened, and. being near the
surface, are dried out before they can
re-establish themselves. The form OF
harrow that we call a "weeder" will
often be found Of immense value in
the destruction Of weeds, as II can be
used when the corn crop or potato
crop is we'll up, and in such case it
will keep down the weeds without in
juring the crop that is being grown.
This is because its teeth go far enough
into the soil to turn out the newly
started weeds. but do not go down to
the roots OF the potato or corn plants.
Some OF our best orchardists. as well
as our general farmers, are using weed
ers extensively. The writer was in the
peach orchard Of Mr.. Morrill, of Ben
ton Harbor, Mich, and was forcibly
struck with the extensive use being