88 VEGETABLES. 



sliould the manure be in one place — immediately un- 

 der tlie hill — unless you mean to discourage the roots 

 from taking a broad range in search of food ? 



LATE HOEING INJURIOUS. 



150. I need not say here that another bad practice 

 is that of letting the weeds live and compete with the 

 corn for the strength of the soil, for I suppose no such 

 practice obtains among us. But there is a practice, not 

 much better, which prevails in many places, that of 

 killing the weeds at so late a period as nearly to kill 

 the corn too. I have seen men hoeing corn at so late 

 a day, that if the corn had been mine, I would have 

 thanked them heartily to let it alone. 



151. If you cut off the roots of a tree it will send 

 out two new roots for every one that is cut off, and 

 the tree may not be injured. Some think it will be- 

 come more vigorous. But if you cut the roots of 

 corn, after it has silked out, and thus force it into the 

 business of forming new roots, at the very time when 

 it should be maturing its seeds, you commit a fatal 

 mistake. You might just about as well bleed your 

 horse half to death, and work him hard in order to 

 fatten him, especially if you would keep him rather 

 short the while, as corn is of course kept short, while 

 it has few unmutilated roots to convey it food. ' 



STRUCTURE AND CIRCULATION OP PLANTS. 



152. Of the structure and circulation of plants I 



