The old policy of clean winter cultivation has been largely abandoned.  Nearly everyone is trying to grow something green during the rainy season to plow under toward the end of it.  Even those who do not sow legumes for this purpose are plowing under as good a weed cover as they can get.  This improves the soil both in plant food and in friability, which promotes summer pulverization and saves moisture from summer evaporation.  Much less early plowing is done than formerly unless it be shallow to get in the seed for the cover crop; the deeper plowing being done to put it under.  Guano can be applied earlier in the winter than nitrate, which can be turned in with the cover crop, while the former may be sown with the seed to promote the winter growth.  Whether you are losing your nitrate or not the chemist might determine for you by before-and-after analyses.  If you are a good observer you may detect loss by absence of the effects you desire to secure.

Soaking Seeds.

Do you think it a good practice to soak seeds before planting?

It is more desirable with some seeds than others and when the ground is rather dry or the sowing time rather late, than when sowing in moister ground or earlier in the rainy season, when heavy rains are to be expected.  Soaking is simply a way to be sure that the seed covering has ample moisture for softening and the kernel has what it requires for awakening it germ and meeting its needs.  The soil may not always have enough to spare for these purposes and germination may be delayed or started and arrested.  Ordinarily seeds can be helped by soaking a few hours in water at ordinary temperatures.  Some very hard seeds like those of acacia trees, etc., are helped by hot water — even near the boiling point.

Irrigating Palms.

My palms are quite small, but they do not seem to grow; they seem to be drying up.

The growth of palms is proportional to the amount of soil moisture available, providing it is not in excess and not too alkaline.  Some palms are quite drouth-resisting, but it is a mistake to think of a palm as a desert plant and try to make a desert for it.  A young palm, especially, needs regular and ample water supply until it gets well established.  Your plants may be drying up, or they may have had too much frost or too much alkali.  If they are not too far gone, they will come out later if you give them regular moisture and cultivation.

Water from Wells or Streams.

One of our neighbors insists that water from a well is, in the long run, very hard on the land, and that irrigation water is much to be preferred.