24 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



lie there the whole season, until it is subjected to the action of 

 frost. Gravelly land, of course, can be ploughed almost any 

 time. Still, there is a proper time to plough even gravelly 

 'land. 



If we cannot prepare the ground to seed in August, I would 

 recommend that the seeding be passed over until just as winter 

 sets in, so that the seed cannot vegetate until spring. I am 

 aware that, where the ground is sowed late in the fall, weeds 

 spring up and give some trouble in the haying, which they will 

 not be likely to do if the ground is seeded in August ; still, I 

 think it would be better to seed it then than to let it pass over 

 until spring. 



All lands, whether seeded down in the spring or in the fall, 

 should be rolled in the spring, and every spring. I believe in 

 rolling all grass land in the spring. The action of the frost 

 throws up the ground, and the little roots are inclined to 

 remain out of the ground and dry up ; they want pressing 

 back, and by the use of the roller, we place them all back again. 

 I think that we get great advantage from that, and that we are 

 trebly paid for the labor of rolling our grass land in the spring. 



Drainage on most of our grounds to be seeded, or planted to 

 any crop, should not be lost sight of; but, as I am informed 

 that there is a gentleman in the hall who will speak upon that 

 particular point, I will say nothing in regard to it. 



I think, gentlemen, that it is important, as the last two years 

 have been very dry, that we should seed down more land than 

 we can get into grass by the use of the plough. Therefore, I 

 would recommend the use of a spiked roller, which is used 

 quite extensively in England, and somewhat, perhaps, in this 

 country. This spiked roller can be used on all kinds of land, 

 rough or smooth, clay or sand, and it brings up a certain por- 

 tion of the soil ; then, by taking a brush and going over it, 

 seeding, putting on finely composted manure, and rolling it 

 again, we get a nicely re-seeded field, and we may expect a good 

 crop from it ; and the operation is much cheaper than it is to 

 use a plough. Or, if you have not got a roller, use the Nish- 

 witz harrow, which goes on several little wheels, and cuts the 

 ground in fine slices. By going over a field two or three times 

 each way with this harrow, you pulverize the soil very finely, 

 and the use of the roller again makes it all smooth. It seems 



