162 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



should be done only in sunshiny weather, when the soil will dry 

 out quickly, so that its original porosity can be regained by culti- 

 vating. It is always best to use any such treatment as this, if 

 possible, when there are no plants in the soil. 



Another succesful treatment consists in covering the surface 

 of the soil with two or three inches of loam. We have fre- 

 quently seen this done with the best results. New root^ have 

 quickly formed in the loam, and these have supplied the plant 

 with food proper to its development. 



