﻿152 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  immediately, 
  thin 
  out 
  to 
  a 
  stand, 
  leaving 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  of 
  

   the 
  most 
  vigorous 
  and 
  promising 
  plants, 
  freeing 
  them 
  

   from 
  grass, 
  and 
  drawing 
  the 
  loose 
  soil 
  well 
  around 
  them 
  

   for 
  their 
  better 
  support. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  planter 
  has 
  accomplished 
  this 
  much 
  of 
  his 
  work 
  

   tlioroiiglily, 
  and 
  in 
  good 
  season, 
  his 
  crop 
  may 
  generally 
  

   be 
  accounted 
  safe. 
  

  

  The 
  after 
  cultivation 
  is 
  varied 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  nature 
  

   of 
  the 
  season 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  plough, 
  hoe-harrow, 
  or 
  the 
  sweep 
  

   will 
  be 
  used 
  as 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  best 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  

   condition 
  of 
  the 
  crop. 
  

  

  The 
  latter 
  implement 
  is, 
  like 
  the 
  scraper, 
  of 
  modern 
  

   introduction. 
  It 
  resembles 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  hoes 
  of 
  a 
  harrow 
  

   flanked 
  with 
  wide-cutting 
  blades, 
  or 
  wings, 
  forming 
  two 
  

   sides 
  of 
  a 
  triangle 
  ; 
  and 
  mounted 
  on 
  a 
  plough-beam, 
  is 
  

   capable 
  of 
  sweeping 
  the 
  whole 
  wddth 
  of 
  the 
  row, 
  or 
  the 
  

   greater 
  part 
  of 
  it 
  at 
  once, 
  loosening 
  the 
  soil 
  and 
  destroy- 
  

   ing 
  weeds, 
  vines, 
  and 
  everything 
  that 
  does 
  not 
  require 
  

   to 
  be 
  turned 
  under 
  and 
  effectually 
  buried. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  

   efficient 
  tool, 
  and 
  is 
  employed 
  with 
  advantage, 
  and 
  

   especially 
  in 
  dry 
  seasons, 
  in 
  keeping 
  under 
  the 
  tie 
  vine 
  

   (convolvulus, 
  or 
  morning-glory), 
  which, 
  if 
  not 
  thoroughly 
  

   done, 
  is 
  an 
  after 
  source 
  of 
  great 
  annoyance 
  and 
  damage. 
  

   This 
  course 
  of 
  cultivation 
  supposes 
  the 
  planter 
  to 
  have 
  

   kept 
  pace 
  with 
  the 
  regular 
  order 
  of 
  his 
  work 
  ; 
  but 
  if, 
  

   from 
  a 
  backward 
  season 
  and 
  late 
  frosts, 
  he 
  is 
  compelled 
  

   to 
  replant, 
  or 
  if, 
  from 
  an 
  unusual 
  prevalence 
  of 
  rains, 
  he 
  

   is 
  unable 
  to 
  run 
  his 
  ploughs, 
  or, 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  cause, 
  to 
  

   scrape 
  out 
  his 
  cotton 
  in 
  proper 
  time, 
  and 
  consequently 
  

   gets 
  iiito 
  the 
  grass, 
  he 
  has 
  necessarily 
  to 
  adopt 
  such 
  

   expedients 
  as 
  the 
  emergency 
  requires; 
  and 
  sometimes 
  it 
  

   is 
  necessary 
  to 
  throw 
  out 
  of 
  cultivation 
  or 
  abandon 
  a 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  crop 
  to 
  save 
  the 
  balance. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  of 
  April 
  is 
  early 
  enough 
  to 
  commence 
  the 
  

  

  