Craftsman 247.299.341 Operator's Manual page 15

• If the garden size will not permit lengthwise and then crosswise
tilling, then overlap the first passes by one-half a tiller width, fol-
lowed by successive passes at one-quarter width. See Figure 19.
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Tilling on a Slope
WARNING
Do not operate the tiller on a slope too steep for safe operation. Till
slowly and be sure you have good footing. Never permit the tiller to
freewheel down slopes. Failure to follow this warning could result in
personal injury.
1. Till only on moderate slopes, never on steep ground where the
footing is difficult.
2. Tilling up and down slopes is recommended over terracing. Tilling
vertically on a slope allows maximum planting area and also
leaves room for cultivating.
NOTE: When tilling on slopes, be sure the correct oil level is main-
tained in the engine (check every one-half hour of operation). The
incline of the slope will cause the oil to slant away from its normal
level and this can starve engine parts of required lubrication. Keep the
motor oil level at the full point at all times.
Tilling Up and Down a Slope
1. To keep soil erosion to a minimum, be sure to add enough organic
matter to the soil so that it has good moisture-holding texture and
try to avoid leaving footprints or wheel marks.
2. When tilling vertically, try to make the first pass uphill as the tiller
digs more deeply going uphill than it does downhill. In soft soil or
weeds, you may have to lift the handlebars slightly while going up-
hill. When going downhill, overlap the first pass by about one-half
the width of the tiller.
OPERATION
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Figure 19
Terrace Gardening
1. To create a terrace, start at the top of the slope and work down
Go back and forth across the first row. See Figure 20.
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REPEAT
2. Each succeeding lower terrace is started by walking below the ter-
race you are preparing. For added stability of the tiller, always keep
the uphill wheel in the soft, newly tilled soil. Do not till the last 12"
or more of the downhill outside edge of each terrace. This untilled
strip helps prevent the terraces from breaking apart and washing
downhill. It also provides a walking path between the rows.
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UPHILL
12" UNTILLED
DOWNHILL
Figure 20
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