Two methods of preparing the soil for the corn crop were tested in three consecutive years at the Pindorama Agric. Exp. Sta., São Paulo. The two methods consisted of plowing the land, followed by harrowing compared with the superficial preparation of the soil with the hand hoe, so as to destroy the weeds without breaking up the upper soil layers. The statistical analysis of the results from the three crops indicated that the machine preparation of the seed bed for corn was significantly better than the other method, yielding on the average 30 per cent more. In addition to giving higher yields, the use of machines made the soil preparation cheaper than when it was done with the hand hoe.