THE ROOTS OF PLANTS. 81 



seems to me, which encourages a rank,- strong, and vigorous 

 growth of the plant on the surface, in the way of leaf, also 

 implies a strong and vigorous root-power, and the root con- 

 tinues to grow while the ground is unfrozen. I suppose the 

 roots of our grasses and of our perennial plants continue to 

 increase in size and vigor until the ground actually freezes 

 up ; so that the fall growth, no matter whether it is just 

 before freezing up or not, implies also a constantly-increasing 

 root-power ; and it is that root-power that we want in our soil, 

 not only for the purpose of a more vigorous and earlier start 

 in the spring, but for the sake of laying up a large quantity 

 of organic matter which will be of permanent influence in 

 increasing the fertility of our land. 



Mr. SLiVDE. How is it about applying manure in the fall 

 for a crop to be put in the next spring? 



Mr. Flint. My opinion corresponds with that of Dr. 

 Nichols, so far as regards applying the coarser barnyard- 

 manures and stable-manures for spring use. Every farmer 

 knows perfectly well that all our coarser manures must 

 undergo the process of fermentation or decay: that takes 

 time ; and, if they are applied early in the fall, they will go 

 through, either partially or pretty completely, the process of 

 feiimentation, so that their materials are fitted for use by 

 plants early in the spring. And if a farmer were designing to 

 plant a field of corn in the spring, and to use only stable- 

 manures, I suppose he would get better results, if his land is 

 ordinarily level, and with a medium retentive soil, by appl}^- 

 ing his coarser manures in the fall than by applying them in 

 the spring. If the land is sloping, and subject to great drain- 

 age, of course that is another thing. 



Mr. CusHCsG. I came from Boston to this town about 



1849 or 1850, on to the farm that my father had formerly 



owned. He was a good farmer, and raised good crops on it ; 



but the farm had been let out at the halves, and it had been 



run down. There was one piece of about three acres of 



grass, divided into three fields ; and, when that grass was put 



up at auction, they could not get seventy-five cents a field 



for it. I have kept that field on purpose so that I could tell 



from practical experience what top-dressing will do. I have 



made all my own manure on the farm, except* two or three 



years. I cannot get on to that land to top-dress it until it 

 11 



