122 ESSAY ON DEEP IILLING. 



refused to till, as commanded, and consequently gathered a meagre 

 harvest. Hence, at the first agricultural exhibition, when the latter 

 presented the " fruits of the ground," these did not even command 

 'respect.' Nor has the occupation itself been respectable since, in 

 the minds of many. Thus disappointed and mortified, the son at 

 once, like most of the sons of farmers, turned his attention to city 

 life. And as is too often the case, he did not appreciate the 

 •worthy daughters around him, but married his wife in a foreign land, 

 and even named his first born after his favorite city. If, therefore, 

 the agriculturist would gain the respect and approval of man and 

 his Maker, please his wife with tempting fruits, keep his sons at 

 home, and marry his daughters, he must raise decidedly his standard 

 of excellence, of cultivation and of refinement. 



This first attempt to extend garden culture to the field, failed ', 

 nor has it obtained to the present time to any great extent. The 

 modern horticulturist gives to his vines and choice trees that 

 thorough culture which every product of the earth requires for its 

 most bountiful yield. His few rods, well drained and trenched, are 

 more profitable than as many acres of the farmer's unprepared land. 

 Another class, as yet quite too limited, can count their varieties of 

 pears and apples by hundreds, all under high keeping. Their taste and 

 refinement are apparant by the order, neatness and thrift of every- 

 thing about their beautiful mansions, ornamental grounds and gar- 

 dens, as well as their extensive fields and herds. We cannot refrain 

 from calling these the hortico-agriculturists of the country, con- 

 necting links between the two extremes, to whom the mere routine 

 agriculturist may well look for pecuniary, ornamental and scien- 

 tific improvement in his department. 



To many farmers, mulching and irrigation are mysterious 

 words. But for the drought only are these serviceable, and for this 

 even, are not adapted to general use. Our theme, on the contrary, 

 is universal in its application, equally serviceable for every vicissi- 

 tude of weather and season, for all localities and varieties of soil, 

 and for every vegetable production. It is a term familiar to all, if 

 not in its qualification and details. 



It turns the drought itself to good account, and renders mulching 

 and irrigation comparatively useless, or if used, more efiicacious. 

 During a dry spell and in trenched ground roots strike deeper in 

 search of food and moisture, become more extensively ramified, and 



