106 



porate it with the soil. By this means, the returns are kept 

 up, whilst the land requires to be less frequently turned, and 

 a great expenditure of labour and money is saved to the 

 proprietor. 



We may here notice the reprehensible practice of those 

 who delay the application of the manure till the plant has 

 made some progress. In this manner a starved and puny 

 shoot is produced, which, unless the soil be naturally rich, no 

 after-manuring can restore to a vigorous condition. We 

 have an illustration of this in animals, whose young, if denied 

 the proper nourishment, never afterwards arrive at their 

 proper size or strength. 



As to mineral manures, but few planters take advantage of 

 them. It would be out of place here to enter on a lengthened 

 digression on this subject. It is enough to mention that 

 great benefit might be derived from them, and to refer for 

 information on the subject to the Agricultural Chemistry of 

 Sir H. Davy. 



We now proceed to other methods employed in the 

 amelioration of land. It is one of the advantages of a re- 

 stricted cane field, that a portion of the land may be 

 allowed to lie in fallow. There can be no doubt that in 

 a climate like this, a clean fallow must be injurious to the 

 soil. Its bare surface is exposed to the powerful action 

 of the sun ; and consequently fermentation and the other 

 processes preparatory to rendering soluble the nutritive 

 matter in the soil must rapidly go on, and nourishment be 

 produced when no vegetables are present to absorb it. A 

 great waste must be the consequence; the carbon uniting 

 with the oxygen of the atmosphere, and escaping under the 

 form of cai'bonic acid gas, and the fluid matters assuming the 

 gaseous form and becoming speedily dissipated. 



Where the surface, on the contrary, is covered, an equally 

 certain benefit may be expected. The land may be allowed 

 to cover itself spontaneously with weeds, such as the various 

 species of the Convolvulus, which soon spread over the surface, 

 affording a dense shade, enriching the soil by their remains, 

 and when the land is broken up, by their slow decomposition 



