THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 125 



two, three, or more inches higher than it stands when 

 the ground is not frozen. 



If the position of shallow-rooted trees, w^here the ground 

 freezes deeply, be compared with horizontal marks on a 

 building that the frost does not lift, it will often be seen 

 that they stand from one to two inches higher, when 

 the soil is thus frozen, than when free from frost. As 

 the roots of such trees lie nearly in a horizontal position, 

 they rise and settle back with the lifting and settling of 

 the soil. Thus it is with sod ground. The roots of the 

 grass form such a tangled mat near the surface of the 

 ground, that the entire layer of turf settles back in a 

 body, keeping the roots in their true position. 



I have in mind an instance which will illustrate the 

 great expansion of the soil, even when beneath a heavy 

 weight. In the basement of my workshop, there were 

 two sticks of timber resting with their ends on the sills, 

 and the middle of each stick was supported by posts set 

 in the ground, where frost could not reach them. In 

 very cold weather, the entire building would be raised 

 by the freezing of the earth beneath the foundation, so 

 that a plank, an inch and a half thick, could be put 

 under the timbers, on the top of the posts. 



With a perfect understanding of the foregoing sugges 

 tions, a farmer will be well prepared to do something 

 to prevent in a great degree, or entirely, any injury to 

 the wheat-plant from freezing and thawing of the soil. 

 In order to prevent injury from this source, two things 

 are essential. The first is, thorough drainage, where the 

 soil is at all inclined to be too wet. Dry soils are af 

 fected but little by freezing. But when a soil is satu 

 rated with water, it often heaves several inches above 

 its usual height. This process so disturbs the roots of 



