50 THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. [June 



stacles by which ignorance and prejudice have long blocked up the^) 

 avenues of improvement, are imbued with a thorough devotion in the c/( 

 cause, it maybe confidently hoped that the result will be speedy and 

 unimpeded prosperity. 



Let not those who, in any way, can aid in effecting so desirable a 

 consummation, refuse to do so because the good effects of their labors 

 are not immediately evident. The seed is committed to the genial 

 earth, but it does not spring up immediately, and requires time to de- 

 velop and perfect its fruit ; so in like manner the seeds of instruction 

 and industry implanted in the minds of our peasant youth, will re- 

 quire time and patience before we can witness the harvest of prosper- 

 ity which will not the less surely follow. 



IMPORTANCE OF DEEP AND FINE TILLAGE. 



The parching weather which has prevailed for some time past will 

 show the advantage of deep and fine tillage in a striking point of view. 

 Wherever the soil is deep and finely pulverized the drought will be 

 excluded, and vegetation escape comparatively uninjured ; whereas, 

 under different circumstances, the ground will have become filled 

 with fissures, which admit of the escape of the moisture of the soil, 

 and expose the young roots in a manner which insures the destruction 

 of the plants, or very seriously interferes with their progress. On 

 one side of a fence the young braird may be seen parched up, and on 

 the other it will be healthy and luxuriant, the only difference in the 

 one case from the other being, that a deep and fine soil prevented the 

 undue evaporation of moisture essential to vegetation, in the one case, 

 and the fissures with which the surface became permeated in the other, 

 fabilitated its escape. 



It is almost unnecessary to add that a fine tilth can only be secured 

 by complete drainage when the land is moist, exposure during winter, 

 and the absence or any traffic upon it in wet weather. Land saturated 

 with wet in winter cannot be brought to a fine state in the summer, 

 even by the most skilful labour, and, on the appearance of dry 

 weather, it readily parts with its moisture, being thus subjected to the 

 two extremes. Nor without exposure during the winter can the soil 

 be made fine, a fact which is familiar to every farmer when he comes 

 to harrow newly turned up earth, which, under such circumstances, 

 can only be reduced when the ground is in a state of high fertility. 

 Again, working the land in wet weather, especially if not thoroughly 

 drained, is highly injurious to it, producing a degree of consolidation 

 afterwards not easily removed. 



Deep and fine tillage is advantageous with every crop, but for green 

 crops it is absolutely essential. The turnip, beet and all similar plants 

 are exceedingly delicate in the early stage of their growth, the young 

 fibres of the roots being particularly susceptible of injury by expo- 

 sure; and any check to the progress of the crop at this stage materi- 

 ally retards its after growth. The vegetation and early brairding of 

 these plants are, in fact, the critical points connected with their cul- 

 ture. They are then extremely delicate, and if not pushed on vigo- 

 rously they become stunted and rarely make much progress after- 

 wards. At this period the value of high cultivation is seen in the 

 Sb rapid progress -which the young plants make to get over the early c 

 (^ stage, and the security which is provided against failure. When a G» 



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