RUT A BAG A CULTURE 



My beans came off in August, and then the ground was well dug 

 between the rows of cabbages. In September, mine had far 

 surpassed the prime plants of my neighbour. And, in the end 

 I believe, that ten of my cabbages would have weighed a hundred 

 of his, leaving out the stems in both cases. But, his had remained 

 uncultivated after planting. The ground, battered down by 

 successive rains, had become hard as a brick. All the stores of 

 food had been locked up, and lay in a dormant state. There had 

 been no renewed fermentations, and no exhalations. 



82. Having now said what, I would fain hope, will convince 

 every reader of the folly of waiting for a shower in order to trans 

 plant plants of any sort, I will now speak of the mere act of plant 

 ing, more particularly than I have hitherto spoken. 



83. The hole is made sufficiently deep ; deeper than the length 

 of the root does really require ; but, the root should not be bent 

 Sit the point, if it can be avoided. Then, while one hand holds 

 the plant, with its root in the hole, the other hand applies the 

 setting-stick to the earth on one side of the hole, the stick being 

 held in such a way as to form a sharp triangle with the plant. 

 Then pushing the stick down, so that its point goes a little deeper 

 than the point of the root, and giving it a little twist, it presses the 

 earth against the point, or bottom of the root. And thus all is safe, 

 and the plant is sure to grow. 



84. The general, and almost universal fault, is, that the planter, 

 when he has put the root into the hole, draws the earth up against 

 the upper part of the root, or stem, and, if he presses pretty well 

 there, he thinks that the planting is well done. But, it is the point 

 of the root, against which the earth ought to be pressed, for there 

 the fibres are ; and, if they do not touch the earth closely, the plant 

 will not thrive. The reasons have been given in paragraphs 51 

 and 52, in speaking of the sowing of seeds. It is the same in all 

 cases of transplanting or planting. Trees, for instance, will be 

 sure to grow, if you sift the earth, or pulverize it very finely, and 

 place it carefully and closely about the roots. When we plant a 

 tree, we see all covered by tumbling in the earth ; and, it appears 

 whimsical to suppose, that the earth does not touch all the roots. 

 But, the fact is, that unless great pains be taken, there will be 

 many cavities in the hole where the tree is planted ; and, in what 

 ever places the earth does not closely touch the root, the root will 

 mould, become cankered, and will lead to the producing of a 

 poor tree. 



85. When I began transplanting in fields in England, I had 

 infinite difficulty in making my planters attend to the directions, 

 which I have here given. &quot; The point of the stick to the point of 

 the root ! &quot; was my constant cry. As I could not be much with 

 my work-people, I used, iri order to try whether they had planted 

 properly, to go after them, and now-and-then take the tip of a leaf 

 between my finger and thumb. If the plant resisted the pull, so 

 as for the bit of leaf to come away, I was sure that the plant was 



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