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weeds may riot ; and no headlands for brush and vines. 

 The more the ground is covered with cultivated vegeta- 

 tion, the longer does it retain its moisture through the 

 drought, and the less room is there for weeds to grow. 

 Years ago, among the German farmers near the Quaker 

 city, I learned a lesson of economizing the soil. Among 

 the lettuces were the cucumber and melon vines growing, 

 when the spring first came, under their glass boxes, — 

 underneath the early peas, flourished a later crop of abun- 

 dant potatoes ; and, in the early potato fields, between 

 the rows, throve luxuriant celery or great cabbages. 

 Another secret of good farming is to take as many crops 

 off the land per annum, after feeding it well, as you can. 

 And here, our friends, the market gardeners of Roxbury, 

 can teach us a lesson. Manure yonder level and beauti- 

 ful field, with its orchard of pear trees and peach trees, 

 in the late autumn ; plaster it in the spring, and it shall 

 have a coat of vivid green before its neighbors ; ere the 

 July suns begin to burn, mow its sweet luxuriant growth 

 for your milch cows, and on the sod plant your corn. 

 Your corn shall ripen in time to sow your wheat or rye, 

 with a dressing of superphosphate or ashes, as the nature 

 of the soil shall dictate, — which dressing shall help your 

 now ripening fruit — and the next summer you shall reap 

 your grain, in season for a goodly crop of great turnips, 

 to grow from the not yet exhausted phosphates. I know 

 this is a personal hobby, — but five crops in two years of 

 grass and corn, and fruit and wheat, and turnips, is an 

 object worth riding for on any hobby ; and then drill in 

 your carrots in November, as we did last year, and have 

 them growing the spring after, out of reach of drought 

 and winds. It saves time and weeds, and injury of 

 drought, to sow in the fall. I should like to show you, a 

 few rods from here, a half acre of excellent carrots we 

 have been pulling from, sowed at the suggestion of my 



