38 VEGETABLES. 



your leaves from blowing away. From six to ten inch- 

 es deep you should cover the ground, for the pur- 

 pose of preventing the Nitre from evaporating during 

 the time the land is frozen ; for that is the time the 

 land loses its strength. By preventing its freezing 

 during the Winter season, it will improve on the prin- 

 ciples advanced in former pages. The rains and 

 snows will run down through the hay and leaves, and 

 thus enrich the soil. 



So soon as the Spring is open, you should rake off 

 the hay or other covering, and set fire to it. You are 

 then prepared to proceed in the cultivation of your 

 vegetables, in your own favorite manner. When 

 your crop is ended, you should seed your land down 

 in clover or timothy, as you have been recommended 

 to do your corn land. The next harvest you will be 

 able to reap a crop of clover and timothy. 



As an experiment, you should plant a quantity of 

 vegetables on the south side of your fence, which has 

 been standing for a number of years and has become 

 rich, by being covered and shaded from the sun in the 

 Summer, and the frosts in the Winter, by the grass 

 and weeds which grow under the fence. After your 

 fence has stood a few years in the same place, you 

 will rake up the manure from under those fence 

 locks, and consider it good ; and then you will 

 divide it on your other lands, whichyou have suffered 

 to lie exposed by your very improper mode of culti- 

 vation. This you have done while in the corn crop 



