THE RUSHIRE FRUIT FARM, IONIA, MICH. 
11 
A northern incline later. Low land is more 
liable to be injured with frost. Cold air like 
water runs off into the lowest places. On my 
own farm on the 17th of March, 1885, at day- 
light the thermometer at my house on an eleva- 
tion showed fourteen degrees below zero. I 
removed the instrument to the bottom of a 
narrow ravine receiving the drainage of almost 
the whole farm and it went down to twenty- 
eight degrees below zero. I could feel the cold 
air running over the bluff like a river while 
elsewhere it was very still. A tew feet of 
elevation will often make difference enough to 
save a crop. It is comparative elevation that 
counts — that which i.s higher than land sur- 
rounding it. 
Prepakin(j the Ground. 
Properly prepare the land and the cultiva- 
ting is half done. Few people appreciate the 
great advantage of having the ground fully 
pulverized to the full depth of the tillage. We 
want the plant to make a rapid growth from 
the start. The roots of plants do not enter 
hard lumps nor can the atmosphere enter and 
prepare the food for plant assimilation, besides 
there are always air chambers which are fatal 
to the roots. We must first break up and 
pulverize the top of the ground before we turn 
it down to the bottom. The tool that will do 
this the most effectually is the Morgan Spad- 
ing harrow, manufactured by D. S. Morgan & 
Co, of Brookport, New STork, It cuts, lifts up. 
loosens and fines the soil to the depth of six 
inches and is a magnificent tool for the prepara- 
tion of the soil for any other crop and especially 
for work in the vineyard and orchard. It does 
not lacerate the roots as an ordinary cultivator 
would do. Now put on the fine tooth harrow, 
cross and re-cross till everything is fine then 
put on the roller. If you have none 
Make a Floater 
by taking three two inch planks a foot wide 
and about six or seven feet long, lap the edges 
so as to spike or bolt them together like lap 
siding and bore holes at each end so as to put 
in two clevises and a chain, hitching in the mid- 
dle and loading with stone or standing on it 
making a load about as heavy as a team will 
draw, give the surface a good rubbing and it is 
ready to turn under for the roots of the plants 
to work in. 
Now let the plow go twelve inches deep if 
possible. If this can't be done subsoil it by 
breaking up as deep as possible without bring- 
ing up the subsoil to the surface, then put on 
the spading barrow and follow with a fine tooth 
harrow as before finishing with a roller or 
floater leaving the ground smooth and fine and 
mellow clear down. It will now retain moist- 
ure and is every inch available for the roots of 
the plants. We must not bring up much of 
the subsoil at one time. Gio a little deeper 
each year. It it has always been plowed too 
shallow it would be better to plow twice and 
return the subsoil to the bottom again. If the 
land is very dry or light soil it can be rolled 
down pretty hard; if <(uite moist not so much; 
if rather too moist use the fioater and do not 
load it too heavy. Understand the difference 
between 
Firniiiig' and Packing- 
the soil. Never do the latter. Land which 
has been properly firmed will always retain its 
moisture and plants will start to grow at once 
and keep at it. Heavy lands that have been 
packed will dry out and bake killing the plants 
or greatly injuring them. It is of great im- 
portance that the surface be left smoothe and 
level. 
Marking the Rows. 
Take a small rope, say one-half inch in diam- 
eter and the length of the field, o::e man at 
each end with a stick as long as the rows are to 
be apart, so as to have all the rows exactly 
even. We set three and one-half feet tor slow 
growers and four feet for those having large 
foliage. Draw the line perfectly straight and 
lay it on the ground, drawing it back and forth 
a few inches, and the mark is quickly made. If 
there are ridges, slack the rope till it lays on 
the ground. If for any cause it will not make 
the mark sufficiently plain, each man takes a 
