CHAPTER XI 

 CULTIVATING 



I HAVE told you why we spray, now I will tell 

 you why we cultivate. It is for two reasons : One 

 to keep the weeds out, and the other to keep the 

 moisture in. We have talked about weeds and how 

 they take moisture and nourishment away from our 

 plants and give us nothing in return; now I want 

 to tell you about the moisture in the soil that helps 

 our plants to grow. 



Have you ever noticed how the water sinks into 

 the soil after a rain? Where does it go? Down, 

 and down, until it reaches an under-ground river 

 or a spring unless it is suddenly called back by the 

 sun, which is ever pulling it out of the soil to pass 

 away as vapor and form clouds to come again to 

 the earth as rain or dew. 



I suppose you wonder why we should care 

 whether Madam Sun takes this moisture out of the 

 soil or not. We care because it dissolves plant 

 food in the soil. Now how shall we keep Madam 

 Sun from taking it away? 



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