The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1913-07-25
USE FOR THE HARROW
important implement In Prevent
ing Escape of Moisture.
Some Authorities Claim When Surface
lie Smooth 1t Does Not Hold Snow
- Well az When Left Rough
Other Facts.
fBy5 PROF. THOMAS SHAWL

(By PROF. THOMAS SHAWL
It would seem correct to say that no
implement Is SO patent to prevent the
escape of moisture from the soil as the
harrow. The ways in which 1t may be
used to effect this end are many
These include the narrowing Of sum
NOR falloW land. autumn plowed land.
land thai Is plowed late in the spring
for immediate sowing and land thai
has been aown TO grain both autumn
and spring
Summer fallowed land should be
first compressed as soon as It Is
ploWed. t Is then at once narrowed
when Tie management Is what Il
should be The narrowing makes
dust mulch. This mulch Of fine earth
dries out 10 the extent Of one or two
inches. When moisture ascends from
below, as II always does, on the prIn=
eiple Of eapilafity. 1t cannot pass the
dust mulch. But when rain falls IN
sufficient quantity II passes down
through this dust mulch TO the moist
soil below and destroys It's effective
ness In order to again be effective
II must be renewed. and In order to re-
new II the harrow must be again
used The best time TO use II Is n
soon NJ the harrow can be used on the
soil without the earth adhering 10 II.
IF 1t Is not then run over the ground.
the surface soil viii contract In dry
Ing. With the result that numerous
cracks or assures will appear In Il.
and through these the moisture VIII If
once begin 10 escape from below nY
narrowing At such a time the dust
mulch Hlli be renewed Such renew.
al must Be glyen after each rain o.
sufficient volume to destroy the dust
mulch. This may not call for many
borrowings. N such rains are not very
frequent IN dry areas.
When land Is plowed in the autumn
IL should usually be narrowed quite
soon after II Il plowed. Some authorI-
ties object To such narrowing TheY
say thai when the surface II thus
snow % veil a. when II Is left rough.
a. the burrows are BY the pillow There
IL some force In the objection. ;. Hut
when the land IL left thus rough Il
dries ouL more than II Il were Impact.
ed With The harrow. In the spring the
ridges On The crest of tho burrows dry
out more than would be possible II he
land sere smoothed and lmpaefeH
with the harrow This Ia true of those
ridges both fall and spring II would
seem reasonable TO claim. therefore.
thai there Il 4 distinctive advantage
from narrowing autumn plowed land
Land TIM blows may make an e1eep
tion 70 thIz rule.
When land II plowed late In he
spring for a crop OF miliet OF oIheI
crop that should be HOwn late. Il i
always important that II shall be h
rowed n anes. It Is important for the
reason thai the moisture escapes verY
readily from such land at such Tine
So rapidly MI II escape, especially
from neaT he surface. that II -
soon become 80 dry that seed aoHn
on It ~ noi gefmlnBto and when i
does mol. Of course the result II eror
failure. Al thaa failure mnY b. -
completes ~ 10 be total
The harrow may be- used With ~.
vantage On crops sown both In The 81
tumn and IN the spring In dry ar4aa
When aoHn In the autumn good r.
suits VII usually follow from running
the harrow over the land when he
grain Is iuat beginning TO appear. Tie
harrow should usually be OF the ID
Unstable tYpe. That means that t
should Be Of type that will admit Of
fitting the teeth backward at an
slant TINT may be desired. whether
any subsequent narrowing should b
given In the autumn will depend upon
the eneruatatlon of the ground. When
the ground does not encruHt the mecca
sity for using the harrow second
time Il not apparent The FIRST time i
Il used i more or less renewa The
dust mulch In the spring 1t MAJ h
similarly Used on such land with much
advantage when the crop la firmly
rooted and of strong growth Dul
should the crop be delicate. then har.
rowing n such a time must be done
with much caution or the harrow ma
bury The wheat The weeder may b.
used With more advantage in some
such Instances than the harrow
Should the ground be Impaeied. II
may be advisable to use the HnIEe
tooth harrow With the teeth straight
In some instances the harrow should
be weighted. and there may be e..
IRENE instances In which the dis may
be used On such crops with adYan=
IA