48 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



want of economy, but because manure freslily applied is 

 not so immediately beneficial as those remains of organized 

 matter whicli by long continuance in tbe soil have become 

 impalpably divided and diffused through its texture of 

 which each succeeding crop consumes a portion. Those 

 plants generally are least exhausting which have the lar- 

 gest surface of leaves, not only because they are made up 

 of a greater proportion of aqueous matter but also because 

 they are enabled to obtain more in proportion of their food 

 from the atmosphere. A rotation was formerly thought 

 necessary from an idea that each plant throws off from its 

 roots into the soil certain matters which are injurious to 

 others of the same species afterward grown upon the soil, 

 but this view can hardly be sustained. Another reason 

 for rotation of crops is that some crops are so favorable to 

 weeds that if continued long upon the same bed the labor 

 of cultivating them is much increased, while if raised but 

 once in a place and followed by a cleaning crop, the weeds 

 are easily kept under. 



Besides many crops planted continually in the same soil 

 are more liable to be attacked by the insects which are 

 the peculiar enemies of those plants. Again different 

 plants derive their principal nourishment from different 

 depths of soil. Hence deep-rooted plants should be suc- 

 ceeded by those whose roots extend but little below the 

 surface. Perennial plants by annuals, crops left for seed 

 or that are of a dry solid texture, by those which are suc- 

 culent and juicy. 



In short, the same species of plants should never be 

 grown in successive crops upon the same ground. The 

 most beneficial plan is where exhausting and non-exhaust- 

 mg crops alternate with each other, as after manure, viz. : 

 Onions, Lettuce, Cabbage, Carrots, Manure ; or, 

 Turnips, Celery, Peas, Potatoes, Manure. 



