252 GARDENING FOE THE SOUTH. 



At this time all weeds should be removed, and the 

 ' plants thinned to an inch apart, so as not to interfere with 

 each other. When they have made a little more growth, 

 and there is less danger of insects and other disasters, 

 they should be thinned to the proper distance and hoed 

 more deeply, taking care not to coven- or injure the young 

 plants. After this continue to keep the soil light and 

 open, of course destroying all weeds. 



In heavy loams, watering or dashing rains will fre- 

 quently puddle the surface, which bakes in the sun so 

 effectually as to exclude the atmosphere. The rains that 

 follow flow off without sinking into and moistening the 

 soil. But a soil which, soon after each rain, while not too 

 wet, is freshly hoed, will, at all times, present an open, 

 porous, finely pulverized surface, ready for the absorp- 

 tion of plant food from the atmosphere, and easily per- 

 meable to the roots of plants in search of it. 



As the plants increase in size, the ground is shaded by 

 their foliage, which, in a measure, prevents the growth 

 of weeds and protects the surface of the soil from being- 

 hardened by the sun. At this time hoeing is less required, 

 nor can it be performed without considerable 1 mutilation 

 of the branches and larger roots, and thus cutting off in 

 part their communication with the soil — injuries from 

 which plants in an advanced stage of growth, and under 

 the burning heat of summer do not readily recover. 



It is not fully decided whether the soil should be fre- 

 quently stirred during droughts. Our present opinion is, 

 that in all warm climates it should, at such times, be un- 

 disturbed. If the earth be already loose and in fine tilth, 

 the air that enters into its pores will deposit its moisture 

 therein. At night tin 1 dews are deposited much more 

 heavily upon freshly dug soil. Rut this deposit of atmos- 

 pheric moisture will avail little if the surface is often 

 stirred, as more water will be given off by day than is 



