Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-06-21
rroa Ii. Nov rasAsd F.r@.r.
Hoeing

" appreciated by a large numbsr OF our
farmers. IL involves some exceedingly in
tsrc-,hs and important prineiple- that aTe
little understood. ant which the farmer ean'
not veil afford To neglect, II he means to
SECURE profit from h'' crops.
In the fr-, place, II the ground I" not
frequently boed, il -oon becomes covered
with wha, we call weeds, that 10, plants 81
amors hardy nature than those which we
cultivate, which take possession OF The soil
above anl belo~.-appropriaiins its iertil.
izinr qua itic,. crOwd,nS and shading the
youns cOru or other plants and hnally o'er'
po~srius them - that ihsy dsindls awhile
and come TO naushi.
Look at the lu.. sustained by such prae-
,ics; II l. no les than that Of preparing
and hauling the manure, spreading Il oni.
rlovins the ground, furrosine, planting
snd covering. aud the waste .; seed and lo-.
Of land When proper cultivation Is nes'
l.c,si, al the-s are no, the oaly lOs-c-, for
. crop o( rank weeds j. produced, which
scatter. its seed. far and near, 10 exhaust
the .oh and veI the hg.b.ndInan Tor lnauy
future years.
1. not the nsslsc, TO hoe and properly
cultivate . crop after II la. come ~. most
short sighted and suicidal policy The
same policy. pgr.ued IN mercantile AaAir',
would ruin the most skilliul merchants in
ibe and.
The old aiass.-" One years soeiins
make. nine years wedding" 10 one that
ought ever TO be borne in mind. 4 single
weed. oileuiime.. II permitted TO grow aud
mature 10. -eed.. will Dc the means OF ulii-
nAlely aS.tracting from the soil as much
.limeuiary matter .. woGld .ueiee for the
support VI a valuable erOp Of wheat or corn
Bang indigenous, weeds are invariably
strong feeders, and require vast amount
Of nurimeni FOR their support hence their
well known and po~Sriglly eIhau'iine el'
Zee. upoa the soils. The ihi'sle. when per-
niIted 10 obtain root, -Oou occupies the
land ~ the entire exclusion Of more des'ra-
be vegetation, aai the same Is the case With
several other .peeis. OF plants. Like vi
eiog, habits. they aouri.h by indulgence,
ull finally they u'a,P eonPlete control and
b.d defiance 20 every efJri.
But thi. 4. not all. suppose the land -
irvc frOm the -eci. OF foreign plani', and no
weeds make their apPearanee among the
crops. j. hOeirs neces-Ary' by grea'
many farmer. IL !. thought to be -, which
.hos. that the prime Ohsse, in hcelns r
supposed to betbe eradication Of weeis only
Let u..ce IT ibis !. the case.
Land thu, has been plOved, narrowed
and trough, TO q pretty smooth surface, and
lsit in that condit on, sOOn has crust iOrn-
.i upon it IN eons9genes OF the svaPora-
,ion Of the moisture which IL contained.
Thi. crust ~il vary from qnarter OF an
inch u an inch IN thickness, and on some
.1,. bsc1mss - tenacious that a cake oi IT
several inches 10 diameter ma, DC taken up
When land i, in thi. condition, II ls not IN
proper state % receive the iertillIing IN.
sasBcc. which always surround 1t, and
oiwhich ii would avail Itself under more
favorable circumstances.
!. II the season is dry one. and the
shower. are lev aud light, that crust will
lead Os no.t OF the water into lo~ Plass-,
iu.l,.l Of receiving ii into the .oil, ss 1.
would II the surface were light and porous.
= When ia this condition the roots Ot
the crop are especially deprived OF three
th.ns-, Wa:
Tie mo,.'ure which the rain-~a,er SUP
phe-,-the ammonia which - carried along
with Ii, and the heat which the rain water
contains.
The tr,, j. indispensable 70 rlants; the
se,Ond d, powerful stimulln,, a. /, render.
other matter soluble which ieed the root.
and the third supplies bottom heat for
them. which keep, the plant. growing when
eold and chilling Wind. are passing over the
.ar.acs. Thc.. several advantage. are IN q
great measure lot by nesI-etiDs frequently
90 STR the .oil.
3. suppose a drOush, prevails. Will at
unboed held rv.i,t 10. Influences, a. long as
f-ld veil hOsdf Nothing like At: D.
caa.e when ih- rain iall., It Is mostly lei
Of on the impsr,ioOs crust. unles- Il comes
in the character VI storm. aud continues
tor many hours. II well hOoi, however,
the surface !. light, porous, aud in eoBdi.
tiOn " be influenced by several eaus..
Fip,, by the AR The atmosphere no,
only hang. over our fields. bu, rc.,. upon
the surface with a pressure Of fifteen pound.
10 an inch. Tbis AIR. or atmosphere. !. al.
Ways fllei with moisture. Ss may be de
uon.irateI at noon Of any DO, day by fllins
spltcLer siih sOli wat,r. Ia a few mo
n,n,. the outside Of the pitcher ls covered
with beautiful Transparent drops. Wher,
do they come from! Why, the pitcher
sseat. eIclaim several about the table
Bot no water passes throash t, certainly
as moisture doe. through the pores Of tbs
ss'n when we.~eat. Nor was any wster
.P''i'd upon the outside Of iI, when il "a,
filed although the droIs have how triek;ed
down Its s'de. and ~e, place foo, .quar,
In the sabls-eloth. Wonderful, How cam,
it ih-rs' No human eye !, keen enough rC
detect the alchemy Of tran.uuta,ion, Th,
pitcher being tllsd with cold water, b.coue.