312 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



ease a gradation in the size of the ultimate roots exactly 

 proportionate to the space of soil which has been given to 

 them ; this, of course, being more or less modified by other 

 circumstances, as the mechanical condition of the soil in 

 which the root is growing, or the state and quality of the 

 manure with which that is supplied. Still more marked 

 in the later stages of root development, is the influence 

 exerted by one plant upon another, where two or more 

 have been allowed to grow in close jaxtaposition ; the 

 practical result in nearly all of such cases being that the 

 crop is lost to a large extent so far as their roots are 

 concerned. For, so far as our own experience goes, it 

 leads us to believe that it is not a question as for in- 

 stance, in the case of two plants close together having been 

 allowed to grow of the loss of one only, but it is the loss 

 of both ; that is, that both of the plants have been stopped 

 in their proper development, and the evil influence of 

 jaxtaposition has acted and reacted upon both, the result 

 being that both were poor. No doubt it is often found 

 that one will take the lead, and keeping it, will ultimately 

 be a larger root than its neighbour, but this is, we incline 

 to think, exceptional ; but be this as it may, of this there 

 can be no doubt, that the largest of the two would have 

 been larger, had it not been encumbered with the close proxi- 

 mity of its neighbour. ISTor is it a less suggestive circum- 

 stance that the growth of plants allowed to grow in close 

 juxtaposition is in almost every case abnormal ; all root 

 plants have what we may call a normal form or shape, this 

 will be more or less modified in a great many of a large crop, 

 but in all the normal shape will easily be traced ; now, where 

 abnormal growth is permitted we may safely predicate as 

 to the result, practically. And it is curious to observe the 

 singular vagaries of growth which plants will take when 

 growing in positions where the healthy development of 

 both is prevented. We have taken out of drills, both of 

 turnips and of mangolds, some of the most singular 

 vegetable curiosities that could be imagined, so far as con- 

 tortion and interlacing together of rootlets and fibres are 



