On Indian Corn^ Potatoes ^ ^c. 319 



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support, with the large and numerous wounds inflicted 

 at once, injure the plants excessively, at the time they 

 require every possible assistance from nature and art. 

 In the second cultivation, the harrows should stop a 

 few days after they have effectually destroyed the grass 

 and weeds, in one direction of the field, allowing time 

 for the mangled and misplaced roots to form a suffi- 

 cient establishment, to support the plants after they 

 have been subjected to the same unavoidable injury, 

 by the second harrowing. This precaution must be 

 observed if a third cultivation -should be found neces- 

 sary ; this may in some measure depend on the sea- 

 sons, but principally on whedier the lay has been 

 ploughed sufficiently deep, and the grass turned under. 

 If this has been done, and the execution of the first 

 and second cultivation effectuahy performed, the farm- 

 er will generally controul the seasons, and sometimes 

 derive advantage from occurrences which prove very 

 injurious to the crops of his less provident neighbours. 

 To ensure good crops of corn, the cultivation with 

 the harrows must be accomplished, before the tasspls 

 and prop roots appear, for after this, the plants requir- 

 ing all the nutriment which nature and art can supply ; 

 their roots should remain perfectly at rest. Still a har- 

 row with blunt or worn tines, may be advantageously 

 used in wide intervals, which fiivour the growth of 

 weeds, longer than narrow. But this harrow can have 

 little effect among weeds already established, and sel- 

 dom does much good when contending with grass ; 

 therefore the farmer should see the absolute necessity 

 of pressing on a cultivation, to give an early and safe 

 F€st to his crop, more especially in narrow intervals^ 



