THE WHEAT CULTURIST. , 153 



respect alone it pays. The weeds are exterminated, 

 which is another point scarcely second in importance, 

 and in some farms is of the first importance. It give? 

 a chance for deeper tillage, preparing the heretofore un- 

 appropriated soil, which serves as so much addition, or 

 manure, to the tillable ground. Further, fallowing the 

 soil prepares it for a succession of crops without manure, 

 equal to the benefit of a considerable quantity of ma- 

 nure without this preparation. Besides, it gives a most 

 excellent chance to dispose of manure. The rawest 

 manure can be used in such a case to the best advan- 

 tage, the soil acting upon the manure, and the manure 

 upon the soil, by fermentation and mutual chemical 

 effect. Lime can also be used with profit ; so can salt. 

 In the fallow is the farmer's great advantage, when his 

 farm ' is run out ' and has become weedy, as it general- 

 ly will be after many years of cultivation. The labor, 

 though it occupies time, is easy. Land requires rest 

 once in a while to recruit its energies ; and stirring the 

 soil is one of the most effective means of doing it, if done 

 during the rains and heat of a whole season." 



Summer Fallowing an Exhausting System. 



Summer fallowing is an exhausting system of cultiva- 

 tion. The entire soil is occupied more or less with roots 

 of some kinds of plants, which, when the ground is ex- 

 posed to the influences of a burning sun and summer 

 showers, in connection with repeated ploughings and har- 

 rowing, reduces everything that rain and sunshine can de- 

 compose, to nourishment for plants. The soil that is 

 being summer-fallowed does not dry out as soon as if there 

 were a crop on it. If a strip a few rods wide have a 



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