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out little chance for weeds to grow ; but all that appear 

 must be pulled out. 



The second year. Keep the beds free from weeds J 

 plough the alleys and cover the tops, as before directed, two 

 or three times during the season. The alleys will now 

 form deep and narrow ditches, and if it becomes difficult 

 to obtain good earth for covering the lops, that operation 

 may be omitted after the second time this season. Care 

 should be taken, when covering the tops, to keep the edges 

 of the beds as high as the middle ; otherwise the water 

 from heavy showers will run off, and the crop suffer from 

 drought. 



The third year. Very little labor or attention is re- 

 quired. The plants will now cover the whole ground. 

 If any weeds are seen, they must be pulled out ; otherwise 

 their roots will cause trouble when harvesting the madder. 

 The crop is sometimes dug the third year ; and if the soil 

 and cultivation have been good, and the seasons warm 

 and favorable, the madder will be of good quality ; but 

 generally, it is much better in quality, and more in quan- 

 tity, when left until the fourth year. 



Digging and Harvesting.- This should be done between 

 the 20th of August and the 20th of September. Take a 

 sharp shovel or shovels, and cut off and remove the tops 

 with half an inch of the surface of the earth ; then take 

 a plough of the largest size, with a sharp coulter and a 

 double team, and plough a furrow outward, beam-deep, 

 around the edge of the bed ; stir the earth with forks, and 

 carefully pick out all the roots, removing the earth from 

 the bottom of the furrow ; then plough another furrow beam- 

 deep, as before, and pick over and remove the earth in 

 tne same manner : thus proceeding until the whole is 

 completed. 



Washing and Drying. As soon as possible after dig- 

 ging, lake the roots to some running stream to be washed. 



