lOb THE CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



swamp muck; and by any other means consistent with his 

 opportunities to remove the difficulties which stand in the 

 way of the most productive culture of crops. 



An excess of water in the land is hurtful in several ways. 

 The roots of plants are drowned in it and perish for want 

 of the needed air and oxygen ; for where water is air cannot 

 go, and where it comes the lighter air is driven out. Plants 

 are starved, because the abundance of water so weakens the 

 solutions of plant food, and presents this to the roots so 

 much overcharged with water, that the plants are unable 

 to pass the large quantity which is necessary to supply the 

 requisite solid nutriment, through their leaves, and they 

 perish for want of aliment. 



The soil is cooled by the excessive evaporation and made 

 incapable of growing crops for the want of sufficient heat to 

 nourish them and by which the necessary circulation of air in 

 the soil is produced. The warmth of the sun cannot pene- 

 trate a wet soil, however ardently its beams may descend 

 upon it; for heat cannot penetrate water from the surface. 

 A fire may be built upon ice and w r ill melt it only very slow- 

 ly; while if a stratum of boiling water is carefully poured 

 upon the top of a quantity of cold water or ice, the heat 

 will penetrate only to a very little depth. And if the heat 

 of the sun should warm the surface of the soil and set in 

 action the consequent evaporation, this will immediately 

 convey away the heat as fast as it is absorbed, and the soil 

 will remain cold below, where the roots of plants must find 

 room to push their fibers. 



The excessive water soon becomes charged with injuri- 

 ous acids produced by the decomposition of the organic 

 matter, and these are deadly in their effects upon vegeta- 

 tion. The oxygen which is required for the change of this 

 decomposing matter into plant food being denied entrance 

 into the soil, no aliment is prepared for the plants; but in- 

 stead of food, matter which is injurious is offered and there 

 can be no healthy or useful vegetation. 



But when the first step for the improvement of a wet soil 

 is taken, all this is changed. The drains carry off the stag- 



