Harrowing

Harrowing

In agriculture, a harrow (often called a set of harrows in a plurale tantum sense) is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage. Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing operations. The purpose of this harrowing is generally to break up clods (lumps of soil) and to provide a finer finish, a good tilth or soil structure that is suitable for seedbed use. Such coarser harrowing may also be used to remove weeds and to cover seed after sowing. Harrows differ from cultivators in that they disturb the whole surface of the soil, such as to prepare a seedbed, instead of disturbing only narrow trails that skirt crop rows (to kill weeds).

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Famous quotes containing the word harrowing:

    I myself have seen the floating ships
    And nothing will ever be the same
    The shouts,
    The harrowing voices within the house.
    I stand apart with an army:
    My mind is graven with ships.
    Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)