GETTING A GOOD START. 25 



ruta-bagas that would open a furrow, and put the manure in 

 the furrow, and then go round with the plough and turn the 

 soil on to that, and plant on top. 



Cajtt. Moore. Yes, that is very often done. 



Mr. Whitaker. Would you recommend that? 



Capt. Moore. If' I had an abundance of manure, I should 

 rather spread it on the whole field, and plough it in. I sup- 

 pose that is one way of applying the manure more directly to 

 the crop. But in ploughing it in, and ridging up a piece for 

 mangel-wurzel, you have it all in the ridges. Many people 

 put a pile of manure around the trunk of an apple-tree, and 

 think they have done the best thing, when the feeding-roots 

 are ten feet from there. 



Mr. Whitaker. Don't you think the best means of 

 appljang manure for all crops is to apply it broadcast ? 



Capt. Moore. I have said in this paper I thought it 

 was, as a general rule. 



Mr. Whitaker. Well, exceptions prove the rule. 



Capt. Moore. I grow sweet melons quite largel}'^ for the 

 market ; and I should never manure them in the hill, except 

 for the purpose of giving them a little start. Some of our 

 squashes grow better without any manure in the hill, except 

 something just to start the plaiit. 



Mr. Whitaker. A little guano ? 



Capt. Moore. Any thing that will give it a rapid start. 



Mr. Whitaker. What time would you consider the best 

 time for planting squash-seed ? 



Capt. Moore. When you talk of planting squashes as a 

 field-crop, of course the product is sold in the market. It 

 would depend somewhat upon whether you were going to 

 store those squashes for winter. You would undoubtedly 

 grow a larger crop if they were not planted until June. 

 Cultivators seem to thiiik that the crop escapes the maggot a 

 little more when planted late than when planted early, and 

 escapes the ravages of the bug somewhat more planted late 

 than early ; and our squashes, like the Marrow and the Hub- 

 bard, have ample time to ripen then. 



Mr. Whitaker. I have not been successful with squashes ; 



and some of my neighbors said I planted too early, — I should 



not plant before the 10th of June. This year I planted on 



the 15th, and lost most of the squashes. I don't know 

 4 



