THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 153 



respect alone it pays. The weeds are exterminated, 

 which is another point scarcely second in importance, 

 and in some farms is of the first importance. It give? 

 a chance for deeper tillage, preparing the heretofore un- 

 appropriated soil, which serves as so much addition, or 

 manure, to the tillable ground. Further, fallowing the 

 soil prepares it for a succession of crops without manure, 

 equal to the benefit of a considerable quantity of ma- 

 nure without this preparation. Besides, it gives a most 

 excellent chance to dispose of manure. The rawest 

 manure can be -used in such a case to the best advan- 

 tage, the soil acting upon the manure, and the manure 

 upon the soil, by fermentation and mutual chemical 

 effect. Lime can also be used with profit ; so can salt. 

 In the fallow is the farmer's great advantage, when his 

 farm ' is run out ' and has become weedy, as it general- 

 ly will be after many years of cultivation. The labor, 

 though it occupies time, is easy. Land requires rest 

 once in a while to recruit its energies ; and stirring the 

 soil is one of the most effective means of doing it, if done 

 during the rains and heat of a whole season." 



SUMMER FALLOWING AN EXHAUSTING SYSTEM. 



Summer fallowing is an exhausting system of cultiva- 

 tion. The entire soil is occupied more or less with roots 

 of some kinds of plants, which, when the ground is ex- 

 posed to the influences of a burning sun and summer 

 showers, in connection with repeated ploughings and har- 

 rowing, reduces everything that rain and sunshine can de- 

 compose, to nourishment for plants. The soil that is 

 being summer-fallowed does not dry out as soon as if there 

 were a crop on it. If a strip a few rods wide have a 



7* 



