IMPROVEMENT OF SOILS. 89 



is true, they ploughed their land, and put in good seed ; 

 and yet the wheat-crops grew smaller and smaller, till 

 they began to despair of raising any more wheat. The 

 crop did not pay for the labor spent on it. It seems 

 their fathers or their grandfathers, or some other stupid 

 persons, had told them that when they had ploughed 

 their land they must leave the lumps and clods of soil 

 just as they fell from the plough. The idea was, that, 

 after the wheat-seed was planted, these lumps of soil 

 would slowly break and crumble to pieces, and protect 

 the roots of the young plants. At last, just as every 

 one seemed utterly discouraged about growing wheat, 

 a young man thought he would try a little experiment. 

 He ploughed up two acres of land, which was only a 

 very poor little field for wheat. He ploughed early, 

 and he ploughed well. Then he harrowed and re- 

 harrowed ; and got out his brush-scraper, and went 

 over the land again and again, breaking up every 

 lump, till the soil was as soft and fine as the soil in a 

 gardener's flower-pot. He made the field like a velvet 

 carpet, and then he put in his seed. The result sur- 

 prised all who saw it ; for the very soil that before 

 would hardly produce any thing gave a crop of fifty- 

 eight bushels of good wheat on two acres of land, 

 which was regarded as a great and profitable crop for 

 that kind of land. This is a true account of a real 

 experiment ; and, should you have any doubt of it, 

 you can on any good land repeat the experiment in 

 many different ways. The following experiments are 

 easily performed ; and all who can do so are recom- 



