134 ON THE ACTION OF WATER 



duce you wish to favor, and water accordingly : if it he 

 a meadow, leaves and not flowers will be your object \ 

 therefore you must water profusely, since abundance of 

 water is favorable to leaves and prejudicial to flowers. 

 If it be a field of corn, it is the grain you would favor ; 

 therefore you must water sparingly. Rye is cultivated 

 sometimes with a view to the grain, and sometimes chiefly 

 for the straw ; in the first case you must water but little, 

 in the latter abundantly. 



The siliceous soil of Ireland is very favorable to the 

 culture of corn : this earth not being retentive of water, 

 the abundant rains of that country do not injure the crops. 

 A similar soil in France will not admit of the cultivation 

 of corn ; because the climate being much hotter, the 

 corn requires more water, and can be raised only on an 

 argnlaceous or clay soil, which retains the water. 



Emily. In watering fruit trees, I have observed the 

 gardener dig a trench round the tree, at some little dis- 

 tance from the stem, and pour the water into it, instead 

 of watering close to the tree. 



Mrs. B. A judicious gardener will apply nourishment 

 to the mouths of the plant it is to feed. Now these, you 

 know, are situated at the extremity of the roots ; and, as 

 the roots spread out beneath the soil, pretty nearly to the 

 same extent as the branches above ground, the tree should 

 be watered at the distance of the extremity of the branches 

 from the stem ; the closeness of garden culture usually 

 prevents a trench being dug so far from the tree, but the 

 nearer you approximate to it the better. Observe how 

 admirably Nature teaches us this lesson : the head of 

 the tree, in the form of a dome, protects the stem from 

 the rain, like an umbrella : all around the soil is exposed 

 to the rain, and the water penetrates the earth just where 

 the extremities of the roots are situated to receive it. In 

 addition to this, the greater part of the rain, which has 

 washed and refreshed the leaves, trickles down from the 

 ends of the branches, and reaches the ground in the ap- 

 propriate spot. 



747. How should the meadow, and the corn field be watered, and why"? 

 748. What is said of the siliceous soil of Irelandl 749. What is 

 said of it in France 1 750. How does the judicious gardener apply 

 nourishment to the plant 1 ? 751. How much do the roots spread outT 

 752. How is the correspondence between the branches and the roots de- 

 scribed, as far as their receiving the rain is considered! 



