FOREIGN NOTICES. 



is most wet. It is less costly than the spade, and 

 when worn can be relaid at less expense. 



The following table, showing the results of I he 

 experiments of M. Schlubcr, exhibits the compa- 

 rative labor required in digging various soils, and 

 the same soil in various states. Thus, if to pene- 

 trate with a spade, when dry, gray pure clay re- 

 quired a force represented by 100, then to pene- 

 trate an arable soil in the same state would re- 

 quire a force ecjual only to 33, or about one-third; 

 so in a wet state the clay would adhere to the 

 blade of the spade with a force equal to 29.2 lbs. 

 the square foot, while the arable soil would only 

 adhere to the same surface with the force of 6.4 lbs. 



Adhesion to a 

 Firmness square foot of 



wlifn dry. iron when tret. 



Siliceous sand 3.8 lbs. 



Calcareous sand U 4.1 



Fine lime 5.0 14 3 



Gvpsum jKiwder 7.3 10.7 



Humus 8.7 8 8 



Magnesia 11.5 5.8 



Sandy clay 57.3 7.9 



Loamy clay C8.8 10.6 



Brick earth b.3.3 17.2 



Gray pure clay UIO.O 27.0 



Garden mould 7.0 6.4 



Arable soil 33.0 5.8 



ii^laty marl 23.0 4.9 



The preceding observations and facts arc appli- 

 cable to hoeing an operation beneficial in conse- 

 quence of loosening of the soil, as much, or more, 

 as b}' its destroying weeds. Moisture abounds in 

 the atmosphere during the hottest months, and it 

 is absorbed and retained mof-t abuntiantly by a soil 

 which is in the most friable state. Professor Sclilu- 

 ber found that 1000 grains of stiff clay absorbed 

 in twenty-four hours only thirty-six grains of mois- 

 ture from the air; whilst garden mould absorbed 

 in the same time forty-five grains; and tine mag- 

 nesia seventy-six grains. Then, again, pulveriz- 

 ing the soil enables it to better retain the moisture 

 absorbed. This we demonstrated some years since, 

 and the reason is, obviously, because a hard soil 

 becomes heated by the sun's rays much more rap- 

 idly than one with a loosened texture. The lat- 

 ter is better permeated by the air, which is one 

 of the worst conductors of heat. We are glad to 

 find our opinions confirmed by so practical and in- 

 telligent a man as Mr. Barnes, gardener to Lad)' 

 Rolle, at Bicton Gardens, Devonshire. He says, 

 (Gard. Mag., Sept. 1843,) "I do not agree with 

 those who tell us, one good weeding is worth two 

 hoeings; I say, never weed any crop in which a 

 hoe can be i;ot between the plants; not so much 

 for the sake of destroying weeds and vermin, which 

 must necessaril}' be the case, if the hoeing be done 

 well, as for increasing the porosity of the soil, to al- 

 low the water and air to penetrate freely through 

 it. I am well convinced, by long and close prac- 

 liic, that oftentimes there is more benefit derived 

 by crops from keeping them well hoed, than there is 

 from the manure applied. Weeds or no weeds, I 

 still keep stirring the soil; well knowing, from 

 practice, the very beneficial efTect which it has. 



"Raking the surface fine, 1 have almost wholly 

 dispensed with in every department. By hoeing 

 with judgment and foresight, the surface can be 

 left even, wholesome and porous; and three hoe- 

 ings can be accomplished in one hoeing and rak- 

 ing. Much injury is done by raking the surface so 

 very much. It is not only the means of binding 

 and caking the surface, but it clears the stones 

 off as well.* The earth, in its natural state, has 

 stones, &c., to keep it open and porous, &c. If 

 the earth be sufficiently drained, either naturally 

 or otherwise, and the surface kept open, there is no 

 fear of suffering either from drouth or moisture." 



Exposing the soil in ridges during the winter is 

 usually practised by gardeners for the purpose of 

 destroying predatory vermin, but it is also benefi- 

 cial by aiding the atmosphere to pervade its tex- 

 ture, which texture is also rendered much more 

 friable by the frost. M Schluber says that freez- 

 ing reduces the consistency of soils most remarka- 

 bly, and that in the case of clays and other adhesive 

 soils, the diminution of this consistency amounts 

 to at least 50 per cent. In hoeing clay, he found 

 it reduced from sixty-nine to forty-five of the scale 

 already stated, and in the ordinary arable soil from 

 thirty-three to twenty. He satisfactorily exjilains 

 this j)henemenon, by observing that the crystals 

 of ice pervading the entire substance of the fro- 

 zen soil, necessarily separate the particles of 

 earth, rendering their points of contact fewer. — 

 Cottage Gurihner 



Asp.\RAGUs. — At page 246 of the Cottage Gar- 

 dener for January, 1850, some hints are kindly gi- 

 ven of the Dutch method of cutting asparagus by 

 Mr Rushmere Now the manner in which I have 

 dealt with asjiaragus beds, and my method of cut- 

 ting for nianj' years, are very dittbrent. 



Winter Dressing. — In the first place, I never 

 root prune the plants by throwing out deep trench- 

 es between the beds, as is too often done in very ma- 

 ny cases; that is, by putting over the beds a good 

 dressing of manure, then placing a line down the 

 side of each bed and chopping off" every root that 

 has found its way into the alley. Very usually 

 some of the best roots have thus run out into the 

 alleys, which is not to be wondered at, for in the 

 spring, say in the month of March, these beds in 

 most aardens are forked over, and much of the 

 soil and rough parts of the manure are worked 

 back into the alleys again. This, of course, is a 

 comfort to the poor roots that have been exposed 

 throughout the winter to all weathers along the 

 sides of these deep-dug alle3-s. 



I have assisted often in the above sorts of work 

 years ago, but for the last seventeen j^ears I have 

 not dug out a single trench between a bed. 



When the stems are cut away in the autumn, 

 the beds are cleaned, if weedy, and carefully 

 forked up. A thoroujihly good dressing of ma- 

 nure is put all over the beds equally, and when 



* A finely pulverized, even surface cakes al"ter rain much 

 more than a surface rather rougli. 



