53 



or fifty years, and what is more st^-ange, but few farmers 

 of our day know from their own experience anything of 

 the benefit derived from deep plowing in winter or fall. 

 , In the foregoing experiment, the error committed was in 

 putting the manure in the hill, instead of plowing it in the 

 land broadcast. When manure is put in the hill the plant 

 is vigorously pushed forward, and attains a great height 

 before the stoot appears, and then commonly within three- 

 or four blades of the top, consequently distant from its 

 source of nourishment below, and with but little protec- 

 tion from above. Take carefully that stalk from the 

 ground and immerse its roots in clear water and remove 

 all dirt. You will observe the roots confined to a small 

 circumference, all seeming to grasp the food just at their 

 exit from the stem, and comparatively but few lateral 

 roots. When the manure lias been properly ploughed in 

 the land broadcast, the plant at first does not make such 

 rapid headway, but from a wise provision of natures the 

 lateral .roots are being sent out witk their thousand mouths 

 in search of food and moisture. They find all that has 

 been bestowed by nature or by the hand of man, and the 

 corn begins to shoot about the time the roots are in con- 

 dition to bestow their treasures for its support. Just at 

 thi^ important crisis in the growth of the crop, it has been 

 urged by old planters that the ground should have its las.t 

 good ploughing. I have seen more than one field of luxu- 

 riant corn thus ruined. Common sense should admonish 

 the ploughman to stay his hand, and leave undisturbed 

 the delicate little veins or roots in the discharge of their 

 important functions. 



To gratify my farmer, as well as to convince him of his 

 error, he was allowed to give what -he termed a finish with 

 the plough and hoe to a idozen rows — the result was a 

 decided falling off in yield. The foregoing experiment 

 shows that with the proper preparation of the soil, four 

 feet by four gives sufficient distance on an upland, tha^; the 

 preparation of the land and first ploughing to the crop 

 should be deep, and all otlier cultivation shallow and 

 level. 



My next experiment was of more recent date, and on 

 land very different in character from the first, being noth- 

 ing more nor less than a quagmire, near by the city of 

 Columbia. It was grown with rushes, willows and sour 



