Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 571 



The faults of ordinary management are First : The impoverish- 

 ment of the soil by continued over-cropping ; second, the omission of 

 a suitable preparation of the soil by reckless and indifferent plowing. 



Such an apparent violation of well-known principles, nature 

 abhors, and very soon asserts her better judgment, by withholding 

 the desired increase. Begging your pardon, gentlemen, I only quote 

 the words of another when I say " Nature knows better than man 

 what the roots want."' Root crops as they are called, delight in a 

 kindly soil, and gentle and careful treatment. They bask in the 

 sunshine of our most favored season ; that season is but a short one. 

 Hence every possible encouragement sliould be given. All garden- 

 plants or edible vegetables should have a quick and strong growth to 

 insure that succulent, tender sweetness so much prized. On most 

 farms, after a fair preparation of soil, the crop is planted, in rows of 

 course, but generally too close together for profitable working. The 

 extra labor required comes at just the time when the farmers can 

 illy afford it, and this I consider one of the most serious drawbacks 

 to successful root-growing. This ambition to compete with the Xew 

 York city market gardens is only a successful failure, as it involves 

 too great a division of interests ; a fact too often overlooked. Now 

 what is the remedy for tliis defect ? Give the crop reasonable space, 

 enough to allow working by horse-power ; not less than two feet, and 

 for broad leaved roots even three feet w^ill oftentimes be found 

 practically advantageous. This question of agricultural labor is 

 becoming a matter of no small importance, as out of it grow fifty 

 per cent of the issues of life or death to farming. It is the farmer's 

 mint where he coins his gains and his losses. The hii-ed farm laborer 

 gets say twenty-eight dollars per month, or, counting eleven months 

 actual labor performed, $308 per amium. It would take but a 

 meager calculation of figures to show that the ordinar}^ farmer who 

 depends upon his profits to make both ends met, must practice the 

 most stringent economy. The crop planted, of all crops, demands, in 

 the most arbitrary manner, timely care and attention ; for irrevocable 

 injury will certainly ensue if they become early enveloped in weeds. 

 And with labor above high-water mark, and most thoroughly unskilled 

 at that, he makes a virtue of necessity, procures a skeleton or narrow 

 mold-board plow, "sinks it into the hub," cuts off" the feeding-roots, 

 and ruins his crop. The preparation of the soil I consider a 

 matter of the highest importance. If we select a site unadapted 

 to fruit, ever so much money, skill, time, and patience, only 



