NO. 21. 



THE FARMEKS CABINET. 



327 



it, which ought to go exclusively to support 

 the crop. Secondly, they crowd upon other 

 plants above ground, prevent them from 

 branching out at their roots, and deprive them 

 of a free circulation of air necessary for their 

 health and vigor, so that they shoot up only 

 single, weak, sickly stalks, incapable of pro- 

 ducing a valuable crop. Thirdly, they throw 

 off from the soil througli tlieir leaves into the 

 air, an almost incredible quantity of moisture, 

 and speedily reduce the ground to so dry a 

 state, as to be fit for weeds only to grow in. 

 So enormous is tlie quantity thrown off by 

 some plants, that it actually exceeds more 

 than twice their own weight in a single day. 

 A bunch of grass, placed, during a very dry 

 season, under a large vessel, sent off moisture 

 in two minutes so as to cover the vessel with 

 drops, wliich run down its sides. Dr. Watson, 

 who first performed this experiment, was led 

 to conclude from its results that an acre of 

 grass exhales more than thirty hogsiieads a 

 day. Plants are in fact but channels 

 through whicli moisture is conveyed up from 

 the soil to be dissipated in the air. Hence, 

 the absurdity of the opinion, that weeds wjll 

 prevent the ground becoming dry by shading 

 it. Let any one in dry weather examine a 

 piece of perfectly bare soil, a few inches be- 

 low the surface, and compare its degree of 

 moisture with that of soil at an equal depth, 

 near the roots of a thick growth of weeds, 

 and he will find the difference astonishing. 



Novv, of what use is it to attempt raising 

 crops if they are to be wasted by a growth of 

 weeds'! Of what use is it to buy land, and 

 plough it, and prepare it, and put in the crops, 

 if after all, these crops are suffered to be 

 eaten up by such intruders. If a drove of 

 cattle should break into a field, no one would 

 think of resting a moment till they were 

 driven out; and yet many allow myriads of 

 noxious weeds to overspread their lands, often 

 doing threefold more mischief, with scarcely 

 an effort to check their progress. And this is 

 not only permitted in cultivated fields, but in 

 meadows and pastures, which are sometimes 

 literally covered with Canada thistle, St. 

 John's wort, and many others, to the total 

 exclusion of every thing else from the soil 

 — Gcv. Farmer. 



What is the best kind of beans to plant for 

 a field crop. Some say the white bean be- 

 cause they think it is the most saleable. Mr. 

 Buel says the China bean is the best ; be- 

 cause he says 1. It is intrinsically the richest 

 and best bean ; 2. It ripens early, and comes 

 off in time for a crop of winter grain ; 3. We 

 think it gives the best crop; and 4. It brings 

 us the best price. Yet we ought in candor 



to add, that it requires the best ground. The 

 white bean will grow where this will starve. 

 The white bean is the most saleable. We 

 think piaster may benefit tiie bean crop; and 

 rocominend that it be sown at tlie rate of 

 a bushel to the acre, belbre the last ploughing 

 for tiie crop. 



On an acre of light ground, where the clo- 

 ver had been frozen out the preceding win- 

 ter, I spread eight loads of long manure, and 

 immediately ploughed and harrowed the 

 ground. Drills or furrows were then made 

 with a light plough at the distance of two 

 and a half feet, and the beans thrown along 

 the furrows about the 25th of May, by the 

 hand, at the rate of at least a bushel on the 

 acre. I then guaged a double mould-board 

 plough, which was passed once between the 

 rows, and was followed by a light one horse 

 roller, which flattened the ridges. The crop 

 was twice cleaned of weeds, by the hoe, but 

 not earthed. The product was more than 

 forty-eight bushels by actual measurement. 

 The beans brought me one dollar the bushel 

 last fall. The third experiment was likewise 

 upon a piece of ground, where the clover had 

 been killed. It was ploughed about the first 

 of June, the seed sown like peas, upon the 

 first furrow, and harrowed in. The drought 

 kept them back, but about 65 rods of ground, 

 on which the experiment was made, gave a 

 product of twelve and a half bushels. The 

 crop was too ripe when it was harvested, and 

 as it was cut with a scythe, I estimated that 

 about two and a half bushels were left upon 

 the ground. No labor was bestowed upon 

 them from the time they were sown till they 

 were harvested. 



Agriciiltuve. 



To solicit his mother earth for life's susten- 

 tation by the wholesome process of tillage, 

 has ever been the most natural and honorable 

 occupation of man. The great Creator has 

 designated the earth, not only as the common 

 receptacle of the mouldering bones and de- 

 cayed forms of human kind, but also as their 

 common source of aliment and support whilst 

 the vital current continues to flow. And, es 

 the pursuit of agriculture is the most universal 

 and natural employment of our race, so it is 

 the most rich in moral fruits ; and more than 

 any other avocation, leads to a desirable inno- 

 cence and simplicity of life. Its rural scenery, 

 " the pomp of groves, the garniture of fields, 

 all that the genial ray of morning gilds, all 

 that echoes to the song of even, and all the 

 dread magnificence of heaven," are so many 

 sublime incentives to adoration and gratitude. 



The season of the year has now arrived 

 when the busy operations of husbandry are 

 commencing. 



