Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-07-01
Hoeing.

Fastening onward the period OF ho~ing.
This. in a majority of cases. j. the Ia tact
Of kindness" which can be pronrred the
growing crops. About this aof. there "a
he no deception. for the presenc. or absence
ofweeds. the future growth aud yield. tell
the tale Of hor, rhe WORK Wa dnhe- one
/. the hsrbing-r 81 the other.
Too many farmers IN the harry or bus
tie of planting: cover the seed With q lick,
and A promise. to make good the slight, or
neglect. 10 finish up in ho"iag. what wa,
nat finished in planting. Nov /, the time
70 make = ,od the promise. But. We took
NJ our pen no, TO indi'e homily. but to
write out some thoughts in regard 10. rhdi
is hoefu9 the ot.,ec. and the eHd
Many farmers are In bc hahi' Of 'dTfhia2
mp the hills. aud :idging mp the rows re-
miniing one more OF pdrdpets and .seld forfI-
fo1ii0ns in times of war. than the simple
act Of hoeing In times of profound peace.
The experience OF some ofthe most obscry-
ing OF farmers. goes TO show. that the old
timed hahit of -'hilling-sp" i positively
injurious to both 20 tatoes and corn. u i
a we'll known factor II ought to be-thst
both corn and potatoes. when growing nat
uraliy. throw out n set of'eedrng thread-lik"
roo,iets within q given distance from the
surface. The dbrou. feeders Of the corn
plat. ar. 10 De found considerably nearer
the surface. than those of the potato plant.
Hill up a stalk Of corn or potatoes. cover
ing these fee lers" below thin Rdtnrdl depth
and the true course Of grovth IL no; onlv
disturbed. but suspended. till a new set of
surface feeders can be thrown out. To state
II numerically. suppose the chosen distance
cf these roo,le,s 20 he within two inches OF
the surface. and that 4 period Of ten days
i required ny the stalk to push them on,
into the soil. Now, IL at hoeing three inch
$ OF earth are hillei-up around the stalk.
these roots are buried i've inches deep. il
mu It be cbvinus that the growth OF the plant
= STAYED or lost durins the length OF time
required 10 Furnish n,r SET Of feeders.
Til. reasoning i. no, bulk on any hypothet-
ical basis. but founded upon fact demon
strAiGl anu
alton and experience. the truth or ialsi,y OF
which any one. by a careful investigation.
can determine. iillrng-up msy be msica-
ing. but il is not hoeing.
One OF the object. Of ..oeing. is TO destroy
the weeds. The importance of sub -dueing
the weeds is in precrpt. achnpN le4igei by
all. vet, many a fell with iis vigorous
growth Of weed. CROW ling out. and chok-
ing the nearly sufocatei plant. tell in Ian
guIge clear aud unmistakzble. that the
h ind aul hoe have not '-prsc;icei Whist l.
preached" Weeds are plant out OF place
out Of place. when found occn-
pying the ca designed FOR hoel crops.
A given area can only furnish given
measure ot plant-foo J. Of which. each plant
must receive It's dne share. 50 that IL weed.
are permitted to grow whatever proportion
the number of weeds bear o. the number OF
cultivated plants. in the same proportion is
me plant-food measured out in the same
do the weeds rob the plants Of
the elements OF growth Thousands oftons
of worthless weeds are annually calfirGt.i
in the State. because. OF reasons. which we
will leave TO each farmer 20 answer tor him
self: weeds which serve aud o Ms serve to
impoverisli both farm aud farmer
Stirring the soil is another of the benefits
to be secured by hoeing. A rapid and
healthy growth always succeed, frequent
stirring of the soil. and yet. il has become
almost a stereotyped practice not to hoe
and .'hillr for corn, and an opinion well
nigh universal that the increase In yield
does not compensate for the labor of a sec
ond hoeing. Never were practices and
opinions in greater error. Who does no,
know that air. fresh air. and refreshing sun
light are just a. necessary for the health
and vigor and growth Of that part of the
plant which is under the sod As OF that
which is above the sod.
Who Goes not know how quickly an fncr,.s
tation Is formed over the hills AFTER hoeing.
impevious to both air and heat and comp ell
ing the hungry rootlets TO gather food as
best they may from the Latent air-food
which a Provident Hand had previously
stored wi,hih the soil.
As the forests are cleared away and the
fell. are laid bare more and more expos-
ed 70 the whitening influences Of q scorching
sun and parching winds the more apparent
becomes the necessity for frequent stirr-
ing OF the soil during the sea sou Of growth.
The more apparent becomes the fact that
there must be some substitute for the hand
hoe. Let the demand be made. and the
fertile brain Of some inventive Yankee will
bling out supply.
ELEyE.