96 



The Department of Agriculture has received, through the courtesy of the 

 Secretary of State, several communicatious relative to the French mode of 

 culture, for^yarded by Consul Geo. W. Van Home, from Marseilles, prepared by 

 practical operators of that vicinity. 



The following extracts are from the statement of Messrs. Imer Brothers & 

 Leenhardt : 



"Composition of the best soils : 



Sand 40. 8 



Lime 2.3 



Clay 5'3.5 



Humus 3.4 



100 



" Of an inferior quality : 



Sand 22 



Lime 3.5 



Clay 73 



Humus 1.5 



100 



" Se( d. — The seed should be perfectly dry and free from fermentation. The 

 seed of the paluds is much better than that of the roses. One may preserve it 

 in a good state for two years by keeping it in a dry place and subjecting it to a 

 thorough ventilation. 



" Sowing. — A ridge of eight or nine inches wide and one and a half inch 

 deep is made with a spade and sowed. At a distance of two inches another 

 ridge, of the same size, is run, having care to cover the seed of the first ridge 

 with the earth taken from the second, and so on to the completion of the third 

 ridge. These three ridges form a platband about three feet wide, separated 

 from each other by a space one and a half feet in width, left as a path for the 

 laborer in weeding. From this path also is taken the earth to cover the plants 

 in autumn, when the leaves are dead. For the sake of economy these paths 

 are sometimes planted with potatoes, beets, &c., but each extra plant should be 

 put far apart. 



*' If the earth is well pulverized, instead of the seed being sown, one had 

 better plant roots of the preceding year's growth, as crops obtained from the 

 plants display much finer roots than when raised directly from the seed. But 

 if the ground is not friable, but hard and clayey, the plants would not grow 

 well, and possibly would not take at all. In this case seed must be sown. An 

 acre of madder produces seed sufiicient for three or four acres of sowing. 



" Transjjlantivg. — For the transplanting of roots, as indicated above, ridges, 

 about three feet wide and three inches deep, are made, and the roots laid therein 

 just free from each other ; and between these ridges an uncultivated space is left, 

 as in sowing. 



" Weeding. — The seed is sown, or the roots transplanted, in March, and great 

 care must be observed in keeping the laud free from weeds ; the paths, also, 

 being attended to in this respect. 



" Irrigation. — When the land is dry, from drought, it will be necessary to 

 water it by irrigating the intermediate paths, if possible. Slimy water is 

 preferable to clear water for this purpose. 



"Covering. — In autumn, when the plants lose their verdure and turn to a 

 grayish tint, they must be covered with one and a half or two inches of earth 



