It is urged, however, by some experimenters that com- 

 posting is desirable in order to raise the temperature of the 

 manure pile to a point that will destroy the foul weed seeds, 

 but is not this an expensive way to destroy weed seeds, as 

 obviously it must expose the compost to loss of ammonia while 

 also consuming time and labor? Except where a very fine 

 seed bed is desired, with considerable humus present, it is be- 

 lieved the compost heap will go out and commercial manures 

 will be used in its place for forcing purposes. 



In the matter of drainage, the old theory obtained that we 

 wanted to draw off the water from the soil in order to admit 

 air and warmth, and also afford a better chance for the 

 roots to permeate through the soil. This is all true today, 

 but we have found that this is only a small part of the advantage 

 of drainage. The paramount object of drainage is to promote 

 the growth of bacteria in the soil — a life which cannot exist 

 where there is an excess of water, where the soil is too compact, 

 or where the proper amount of air and warmth does not per- 

 meate. Hence drainage assists in the growth of a crop of "yeast 

 plants" below the surface of the soil, which are as essential to 

 the growth of the crop above the soil as water and sunshine. 



In the matter of fine cultivation, the old theory of cultiva- 

 tion was to kill not only the weeds, but to make the soil Hght 

 and friable, to admit the air, to encourage the circulation of 

 moisture through the soil, and to make it an acceptable medium 

 for the roots of the crop. The modern theory includes the old 

 and also recognizes the necessity of making the conditions as 

 favorable as possible for the growth of soil bacteria. Thorough 

 cultivation also conserves the moisture of the soil by means of 

 a fine mulch on the surface, which prevents the moisture from 

 evaporating into the atmosphere. 



In the West, where they carry on "dry farming" — that is, 

 farming without irrigation — ^where there is little rainfall — 

 they have been successful in raising large crops by continuous 

 cultivation, keeping the surface Hke a dust heap, thus retain- 

 ing the moisture which, by means of capillary action, has 

 been drawn up from lower levels. Mr. Hale, the celebrated 

 peach grower of Connecticut, keeps horse cultivators going 

 practically all the time in his orchards, during the growing 

 . season, not only to keep down weeds, but to conserve moisture. 

 He calls it "horse leg irrigation." Thus the modem farmer 



25 



Object of 

 Drainage 



Object of 

 Cultivation 



Horse 



Leg 



Irrigation 



