A tractor-based box blade is used to move and condition soil. The box blade has a plurality of rippers, which are forwardly- and downwardly-extending shanks terminating in relatively narrow teeth that extend into the ground. Each ripper is deployable to extend into the ground independent of the other rippers, and each ripper is stowable away from the ground independent of the other rippers. At least one scraping blade is disposed behind the rippers for smoothing soil.
