14 THE FIRST BOOK OF FARMING 



Of what value is it to the farmer to know that 

 the larger part of the roots of farm plants develop in 

 that part of the soil that has been plowed or spaded ? 

 It tells him that plowing tends to bring about the 

 soil conditions which are favorable to the growth 

 and development of roots. Therefore, the deeper 

 he plows, the deeper is the body of the soil having 

 conditions best suited for root growth, and the 

 larger will be the crop which grows above the soil. 



Of what value is it to the farmer to know that the 

 roots of farm plants penetrate to depths of five or 

 six feet in the soil ? To answer this question it will 

 be necessary for us to know something of the con- 

 ditions necessary for root growth. So we will leave 

 this till later. 



Of what value is it to the farmer to know that 

 many of the roots of his farm plants come very near 

 the surface of the soil ? It tells him that he should 

 be careful in cultivating his crop to injure as few of 

 these roots as possible. In some parts of the coun- 

 try, particularly in the South, the tool commonly 

 used for field cultivation is a small plow. This is 

 run alongside of the row, throwing the soil from the 

 crop, and then again throwing the soil to the crop. 

 Suppose we investigate, and see how this affects the 

 roots of the crop. 



Let us visit a field where some farmer is working 

 a crop with a plow, or get him to do it, for the sake 

 of the lesson. We will ask him to stop the plow 

 somewhere opposite a plant, then we will dig a hole 

 a little to one side of the plow and wash away the 



