The seed drill is already a very useful
implement and is rapidly being made to meet the special requirements
of the dry-farmer. Corn planters are used almost exclusively on
dry-farms where corn is the leading crop. In principle they are very
much the same as the press drills. Potatoes are also generally
planted by machinery. Wherever seeding machinery has been
constructed based upon the principles of dry-farming, it is a very
advantageous adjunct to the dry-farm.
Harvesting
The immense areas of dry-farms are harvested almost wholly by the
most modern machinery. For grain, the harvester is used almost
exclusively in the districts where the header cannot be used, but
wherever conditions permit, the header is and should be used. It has
been explained in previous chapters how valuable the tall header
stubble is when plowed under as a means of maintaining the fertility
of the soil. Besides, there is an ease in handling the header which
is not known with the harvester. There are times when the header
leads to some waste as, for instance, when the wheat is very low and
heads are missed as the machine passes over the ground.
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