It naturally follows that subsoiling should be a beneficial practice
on dry-farms. Whether or not the great cost of subsoiling is offset
by the resulting increased yields is an open question; it is, in
fact, quite doubtful. Deep plowing done at the right time and
frequently enough is possibly sufficient. By deep plowing is meant
stirring or turning the soil to a depth of six to ten inches below
the surface of the land.
Fall plowing far water storage
It is not alone sufficient to plow and to plow deeply; it is also
necessary that the plowing be done at the right time. In the very
great majority of cases over the whole dry-farm territory, plowing
should be done in the fall. There are three reasons for this: First,
after the crop is harvested, the soil should be stirred immediately,
so that it can be exposed to the full action of the weathering
agencies, whether the winters be open or closed. If for any reason
plowing cannot be done early it is often advantageous to follow the
harvester with a disk and to plow later when convenient. The
chemical effect on the soil resulting from the weathering, made
possible by fall plowing, as will be shown in Chapter IX, is of
itself so great as to warrant the teaching of the general practice
of fall plowing.
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