SUCCESSFUL AGRICULTURE. 253 



weeds. A few, in order to stir the surface and prevent it from 

 becoming hardened, and some for the purpose of hilling crops. 

 The best result we think will be attained if we cultivate primarily 

 to stir the surface, especially after heavy rains, and secondarily 

 to suppress the growth of weeds, and but seldom or never for 

 the purpose of hilling. Frequent stirring of the surface tends 

 to promote the constant movement of moisture contained in the 

 soil and thus brings the matters dissolved in it, within reach 

 of the spongioles of the roots. A great deal of unprofitable 

 labor may be expended in growing a crop, and every intelligent 

 cultivator will use only just so much as will pay, but should be 

 satisfied with nothing less. 



On the points enumerated we think that the limit of success 

 is very nearly reached by our best cultivators. Concerning one 

 other, and by far the most important, it will be generally 

 acknowledged that there is room for very great improvement. 

 "We allude to the subject of manuring, and what we shall have 

 to say farther will be in relation to it. It is a well known fact 

 that if we plant crops of any kind upon a soil year after year 

 without addition of any kind, the product will constantly and 

 rapidly diminish until in a short time it ceases to be remunera- 

 tive. It has been found from the experience of all ages that the 

 fertility of soil can only be kept up by the addition of sundry 

 substances, to which collectively, the name manure has been 

 given. Manure may be defined as any substance, the addition 

 of which to the land tends to promote its fertility. Chemically, 

 manures can be divided into two classes ; one class including all 

 those matters which plants take up as food directly, and the 

 other, such as assist the plant indirectly in aid of its nourish- 

 ment but do not act as food. The distinction perhaps is not as 

 yet perfectly understood, but the first class includes all organized, 

 vegetable substances in a peculiar condition of decay, generally 

 known under the comprehensive term, humus or vegetable 

 mould. The second class comprises such other substances as 

 contribute in any way to the building up, or the perfecting of the 

 structure of plants. Humus, in fact, is the pabulum from which 

 vegetation is directly fed. Every soil capable of growing crops 

 contains it. It may generally be known by the dark or black 

 color which it gives to the upper layer of the soil. If we dig a 

 hole in any cultivated field we shall find that this dark colored 



