ROOT CROPS. 69 



of the opinion, that had he expended $100 worth of extra labor, 

 "kept down the weeds," lie might have had 1,000 bushels 

 instead of 800 which would well have paid the expense, in 

 future crops as well as in the present. Mr. Pratt in this matter 

 perhaps should be excused, as it is well known to one of the 

 members of the Committee, that he has been quite ill for the 

 most part of the season and was obliged to trust his onion bed 

 to such help as he could get, not such as he would have had. 



Sandy Soils. 



This kind of soil has generally been considered not worthy of 

 cultivation ; but every farmer well knows the mode that has 

 been adopted for the last fifty years in working light sandy 

 soils. It is simply to plough very light and shallow, and crop 

 with winter rye year after year, or in alternate years, as the soil 

 will hold out, or grow wiry grass for poor sheep to graze upon, 

 and without the application of manure or fertilizers ; and under 

 such cultivation who can expect a good return of any crop from 

 such soils ? 



Dr. Dana says : " Of all the soils to be cultivated or to be 

 restored, none are to be preferred to the sandy light soils." It 

 is obvious that light soils maybe improved in various ways, and 

 we must be governed by the surrounding circumstances. If 

 they are in the immediate vicinity of a clay pit or fresh meadow, 

 either clay, muck, or both, may be used with good results. The 

 writer of these remarks has experimented with muck upon soils 

 of this character, for the last three years where a young apple 

 orchard has been transplanted, and is satisfied that twenty loads 

 of muck, one load of leached ashes and one load of horse 

 manure are of more value to the trees and hoed crops than the 

 same number of loads of barn manure ; as this treatment serves 

 not only to make but very much to improve the soil. Another 

 mode of operation is to plough in green crops, such as oats, 

 buckwheat or clover ; as soon as the crop is in blossom turn it 

 in and re-seed, thus ploughing in two crops the same year ; in 

 case the soil has been dressed with muck, this method serves to 

 hasten the work of reclamation. 



It is the experience of some practical farmers that the crop be 

 allowed to perfect itself and die where it grew, and turned in in 

 a dry state, and the dry crop is of more value than two crops of 



