CULTIVATION. 118 



QUESTIONS. 



What are the different piu'poses of cultivating the soil? What is 

 the effect of leaving land in a lumpy condition ? Name all the 

 reasons you can think of why plants will not thrive in hard soil. 

 Why do plants obtain more food in a loose soil ? What reasons 

 can you give for mixing fertilizers thoroughly with the soil? 



In what three ways do weeds injure crops? How do they dry the 

 ground ? Why should they be destroyed when small ? Since they 

 are not removed from the soil, how do they reduce its fertility ? 



In what way does cultivation increase the supply of moisture ? Give 

 several arguments in favor of deep plowing. Give several reasons 

 why roots do not generally occupy, to any great extent, the soil 

 below that which is stirred in plowing. 



What influence has deep tillage upon the supply of moisture? What 

 has it to do with economy in farming? Why is it unwise to plow 

 very deeply at first? What kinds of soil may not need deep plow- 

 ing? What are the advantages of subsoil plowing? 



Name the arguments in favor of plowing in the fall. Give those 

 in favor of plowing in the spring. AVhat are the general con- 

 clusions in the matter ? What are the advantages of thorough 

 harrowing ? 



Name all the reasons you can think of why crops grow better in 

 soil thoroughly pulverized. What are the advantages of rolling- 

 ground ? Under what circumstances is it injurious ? What are 

 the different benefits of cultivating hoed crops ? Why should the 

 ground be stirred after every rain-storm? Why should this cul- 

 tivation generally be shallow ? 



How may surplus wat>-.- be carried away from a field ? What are 

 the disadvantages of surface drains ? Name the different advan- 

 tages of underdrains ? Why do roots grow deeper where drains 

 are provided ? Tn what two ways do they render land more fer- 

 tile ? How do they prevent land from suffering from a drought ? 

 How do they render soil warmer ? 



What is meant by a rotation of crops ? What are the advantages of 

 a rotation ? (iive examples of rotations sometimes adopted. 



Wixs. Agk. — 8 



