THE WHEAT CULTUKIST. 151 



plants of any kind. This character should always be 

 given them as far as possible. The ploughing should be 

 performed early the sod carefully inverted if sandy, 

 turning flat if clayey, lap furrows and doing the 

 work as regards moisture, when it will be most effective. 

 Boiling will be beneficial on most soils after this, the 

 harrow thoroughly employed, and again the wheel-cul- 

 tivator or gang-plough, so as to destroy the weeds which 

 may appear, as well as to excite the germination of 

 those which lie dormant in the soil, that they also may 

 be destroyed. 



" 2. Deep culture is beneficial because it enlarges the 

 capacity of the soil to supply nourishment to plants. 

 A deep, free soil will allow the fine rootlets of growing 

 crops to extend through it at pleasure ; and such a soil 

 is filled with their roots in a manner surprising to every 

 one on a first examination. Numerous healthy roots 

 insure a vigorous growth of that part of the plant above 

 ground such as is never observed on a hard and shal 

 low soil. "We believe deep ploughing has never failed 

 to benefit well-drained soils (not naturally too porous 

 and light already), unless the subsoil was of a very pe- 

 culiar character. In such cases, deepening will prove 

 beneficial if gradually performed an inch or two may be 

 brought to the surface at each ploughing without injury. 



" 3. Fine culture the thorough pulverization of the 

 soil is also necessary to its full productiveness. The 

 ground should be open to the influences of air and 

 moisture should be free to the shooting of the most 

 minute rootlets of the growing crop. The ameliorating 

 effects of fallowing are in part due to the thorough dis- 

 integration of the soil by mechanical working and long 

 exposure to atmospheric influences. Little addition of 



