Nevertheless it is impossible to make the
nourishment exactly equal for all the plants of even a small bed.
[382] Any inequality from this cause will increase the difference in the
size of the young leaves, augment the inequality of their production of
organic matter and for this reason go on in an ever increasing rate.
Rain and spraying, or on the other hand dryness of the soil, have still
greater consequences. The slightest unevenness of the surface will cause
some spots to dry rapidly and others to retain moisture during hours and
even sometimes during days.
Seeds, germinating in such little moist depressions grow regularly and
rapidly, while those on the dryer elevations may be retarded for hours
and days, before fully unfurling their seed-leaves. After heavy rains
these differences may be observed to increase continually, and in some
instances I found that plants were produced only on the wet spots, while
the dry places remained perfectly bare. From this the wet spots seem to
be the most favorable, but on the other hand, seeds may come to
germinate there too numerously and so closely that the young plants will
be crowded together and find neither space nor light enough, for a free
and perfect development. The advantage may change to disadvantage in
this way unless the superfluous individuals are weeded out in due time.
Pages:
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376