The Harrow

[hootinholler]

A farm implement to break up the clods after a field is plowed:



It comes in many configurations. The one above tends to trap the existing growth that was plowed under and drag it along.

Unfortunately the practice of harrowing a field leads to serious erosion issues. Sometimes the field fails the predicted yield because of it, especially if there's a vigorous rain clearing the air.

[malthaussen]

1. And here I thought it was a British public school.

Harrowing and straight-line ploughing were major causes of the Dust Bowl.

-- Mal

[hootinholler]

2. Absolutely they were

It destroyed the grass roots holding all that fertile topsoil.

A strong wind came along and stripped it off.

[LWolf]

3. Harrows are also used

to break up manure in pastures on rotational grazing, and can do so without damaging the grass.

[riderinthestorm]

4. Yes, there are many types of harrows and not all of them are designed to furrow

or dig into the earth.

We own two types - a box scraper for the packed arena track and to level potholes in the gravel driveways, and the arena chain drag harrow designed for sand arenas and to drag the pastures to break up the manure.

[LWolf]

7. I have

a length of chain link fence weighted with old tires to break up manure. I drag it behind my truck, since I don't have a tractor.

[riderinthestorm]

8. I bet it works perfectly too

[riderinthestorm]

5. No-till methods of farming however are heavily dependent on chemicals

so there's trade offs for both methods.

[Go Vols]

6. We have a home made one

similar to this.

[pinboy3niner]

9. I'll never forget Brando saying in that movie, "The harrow...the harrow..."

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[hootinholler]

10. That's ok

Apparently DU doesn't do allegory