OF AGRICULTURE. 



lasaels are near at hand to provide pollen, the stalk 

 may produce an ear without a tassel of its own. 



The fruit consists of two parts, the pulpy matter 

 which surrounds the seed, and the seed which con- 

 tains the germ of the new plant. In the apple, 

 peach, etc,, the pulpy matter or "pericarp" is the 

 most valuable portion of the fruit. In the cereal, or 

 grain crops, the seed is the chief value the pericarp 

 or skin, being the chaif or husk. Albumen, or the 

 white, starchy mass, constitutes the larger part of 

 cereal grains, and serves not only as food for the germ 

 of the plant, but also constitutes a large proportion 

 of the food for man and beast. 



To any one wishing to study the manner in which 

 plants grow, and their different parts and structure, 

 more fully, we would recommend some good work 

 on botany.* Our space only permits us to make use 

 of this brief exposition as the part most interesting to 

 the farmer. 



CHAPTEE IY. 



MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF THE SOIL. 



As sand, day, oxide of iron, carbonate of lime, and 

 vegetable matter make up the body of all soils, wo 

 may reduce all soils into six general classes. Other 

 ingredients, such as potash, soda, phosphates and sul- 

 phtites are no less essential to a good soil, but they 



*Prof. Gray's work on "How Plants Grow," or Prof. Johnston's "How 

 Crops Grow," are both excellent works on the subject. 



