380 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



Hoeing produces similar results, and is admirable spring 

 and summer work. It is chiefly performed to destroy summer 

 weeds, but in every case as soon as seeds, crops, or plants 

 generally have made visible growth, the hoe should be freely 

 used about and amongst them, as it is of great importance 

 to keep a loose, light, and, of course, clean surface of soil, 

 as in such case the soil beneath dries far less rapidly than is 

 the case when left unhoed. Hoeing is most valuable summer 

 soil culture, and should be constantly performed. 



MANURING 



This term simply means that plants, like animals, have to 

 be fed. But whilst animals partake of food through their 

 mouths, plants do so through their roots. The soil is their 

 dining-room, and it is a good one when it contains plenty of 

 plant food. All plants have more or less similar methods 

 of taking up food. They have on their roots, and generally 

 on their smaller or fibrous roots, minute hairs, and these have 

 throats or hollow trunks through which they absorb in liquid 

 form the foods or manures put into the soil for plants 

 to exist on. We know, too, by experience and observation, 

 how beneficial manure is to crops. Who walking over a 

 meadow has not noticed that where animal excrement has 

 fallen there the grass becomes strong and vigorous. The 

 same may be seen in a field of corn, or where manure shot 

 down from a cart has remained a few weeks before being 

 spread, as that particular spot always produces the strongest 

 corn. In the garden we have found, by adding to the soil 

 manure from stables, cow-sheds, pig-styes, or fowl-houses, 

 or any decayed vegetable matter, such as leaves, or of soot 

 or salt, that vegetation is always more robust than where 

 no such dressing is given. Observation has shown that to 

 have good crops we must supply plants with manures, or, to 

 use the proper term, plant foods. Then all these manures, 

 no matter whether they be of animal, or vegetable such as 

 rotten leaves or guano, or mineral such as nitrate of soda, 

 kainit, salt, &c., must be easy to dissolve when brought into 

 contact with the moisture of the air and earth. Thus there 

 are what are termed soluble manures that is, those which 

 soon or in a few months become dissolved. Insoluble 

 manures are such as bones in an unbroken state, yet bones 

 broken up fine or steamed soft become first-rate plant food. 



Plants cannot eat or use the soil as food, as that is purely 



