100 AMERICAN GARDENER. 



together, it is impossible to prevent weeds from 

 growing. But in this fine climate, under this 

 blessed sun, who never absents himself for more 

 than about forty-eight hours at a time, and who 

 will scorch a dock-root, or a dandelion root, to 

 death in a day, and lengthen a water-melon shoot 

 24 inches in as many hours : in this climate, scan- 

 dalous indeed it is to see the garden, or the field, 

 infested with weeds. 



180. But, besides the act of killing weeds, 

 Cultivation means moving the earth between the 

 plants while growing. This assists them in their 

 growth : it feeds them : it raises food for their 

 roots to live upon. A mere ^aMioeing does no- 

 thing but keep down the weeds. The hoeing 

 when the plants are become stout, should be 

 deep; and, in general, with a hoe that has sfianes 

 instead of a mere flat plate. In short, a sort of 

 'wong in the posture of a hoe. And the spane 

 of this prong-hoe may be longer, or shorter, 

 according to the nature of the crop to be hoed. 

 Deeji-hocing is enough in some cases ; but, in 

 others, diggi?ig is necessary to produce a fine and 

 full crop. If any body will have a piece of 

 Cabbages, an'fl will dig between the rows of one 

 half of them, twice during their growth, and let 

 the other half of the piece have nothing but a 

 flat-hoeing, that person will find that the half 

 which has been digged between, will, when the 

 crop is ripe, weigh nearly, if not quite, twice as 

 much as the other half. But, why need this be 

 said in an Indian Corn country, where it is so 

 well known, that, without being ploughed be- 

 tween, the corn will produce next to nothing? 



181, It may appear, that, to dig thusamo<*r,>' 



