FRUITS. 127 



early nipped them in the hud, and kept the soil frequently 

 tilled and light on the surface, during the dry and hot weeks 

 with which we were favored, secured a good growth of mature 

 canes for next season's fruiting, together with a good crop 

 of average-sized bunches and berries, and in many instances 

 both were very large. On the other hand, those who gave one 

 or two hoeings early in the season, leaving the weeds to grow, 

 and the soil to bake and crack, affording additional facilities for 

 evaporating the water contained therein, need not be surprised 

 that their berries were small, neither should they if denied any 

 crop next year, for vines that produce half grown fruit are not 

 in a condition to set fruit-buds for the next season. On that 

 point our experience enables us, as we believe, to judge 

 correctly. 



These remarks are not only applicable to grape cult^ux, but 

 equally so to all crops for which the cultivator or hoe are put 

 in requisition. If any one has doubts as to the damaging 

 eifects of neglecting to stir the surface, and destroying all the 

 little pumps which are worthless, standing in the soil, let him 

 try the experiment thoroughly, for once, on a small scale, on 

 the weedy side, and he will be cured in theory at least, and we 

 trust in practice, unless he is one of those unfortunates who 

 frequently lay out more work than they find time to carry 

 through. That disease has become chronic with some,— the 

 losses which accrue in consequence producing no cure. 



Does any one doubt that a weed is a pump ? let him cut off 

 one some sunny morning in July, watch the same twenty 

 minutes, more or less, and see its head begin to droojD — no 

 source of supply, and evaporation continually going on, it must 

 be obvious, that on an acre thickly covered with weeds, many 

 barrels of water are daily drawn from the soil, which should be 

 retained therein for a more useful purpose. Weeds not only 

 exhaust the soil of moisture, but' they are also gross feeders on 

 the elements of fertility artificially applied, as is clearly evi- 

 denced in all cases where manure is applied. That is under- 

 stood by intelligent cultivators everywhere ; and being a Yankee, 

 we venture to guess that if Secretary Moore should be asked, 

 he will assert that if he neglected to stir the surface soil in his 

 grapery frequently during the dry season, keeping the grounds 



