CHAPTER IV. 



Winter and Early Spring Cultivation. 



THE general directions for cultivating all crops are to stir 

 the soil repeatedly, which, while excellent advice under 

 certain conditions and at certain times, is very bad 

 advice at others. We all know the benefits from such treat- 

 ment in hot weather, when the little clods and loose soil shade 

 and keep the earth cool, as well as break the capillary attrac- 

 tion and retain the moisture. But there are times and places 

 where this is just what we do not want. All through the 

 lower Gulf states, where winter gardening is practiced, the 

 very opposite from the above is the proper treatment, and 

 thousands of dollars are wasted annually at that season in 

 worse than useless cultivation. What is sauce for the goose 

 is also sauce for the gander, and winter cultivation not only 

 very greatly reduces the temperature of the earth itself, but 

 after heavy rains the stirred soil, acting like a sponge, retains 

 more water than is needed, thus reducing the temperature 

 and checking growth. The toper's theory of drinking whis- 

 key in summer to keep cool, and in winter to keep warm, 

 will not work in this case. 



The truth is, the same results follow cultivation, both in 

 summer and winter, and the effect in each is to shade the 

 ground and prevent the absorption of heat by the surface 

 during the day, as well as to increase radiation from freshly 

 stirred ground at night. Every one knows that smooth, firm 

 ground will heat up much more quickly and intensely in sum- 

 mer, and should be stirred ; but in winter at the South, and 

 early spring both South and North, as heat is absolutely nec- 

 essary to plant growth, and the ground is damp and cold, the 

 proper thing then is to leave the surface smooth and firm 

 until later on, when the earth warms up. If some one ob- 

 jects that plants left thus can get no air to the roots, the 



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