SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ROLLER. 39 



or four years, as I have said. The only remedy I know of 

 is to discontinue raising onions on that land, and take another 

 piece. 



In regard to the fungus that affects the hot-beds in which 

 lettuce, &c., are grown, I will say, in the outset, that I have 

 had very little experience with hot-beds; but I should judge, 

 from what I have observed of fungus-growth and the propa- 

 gation of its seed in the case of the potato, that the cause of 

 fungus in hot-beds is too much moisture, with too little ven- 

 tilation. But I ought not and do not undertake to instruct 

 these gardeners in the management of their hot-beds, because 

 they have had very much more experience than I have. It 

 is simply suggested to my mind, knowing the conditions 

 under which the fungus-growth affects the potato, and pro- 

 duces the potato-rot, that similar conditions, which might 

 and probably would be found in hot-beds, would be just the 

 conditions for the propagation and support of the fungus that 

 affects lettuce and similar plants. 



The gentleman who favored us with the very valuable and 

 instructive paper on market-gardening, in mentioning the 

 implements used, spoke of the roller. I have no doubt he 

 finds it a great advantage ; and I judge, from what he says, 

 that it supersedes the necessity of the use of the garden-rake 

 in the preparation of the ground for garden-crops. Many of 

 the farmers in Essex County use, instead of the roller, a 

 drag. I described that drag at the meeting a year ago quite 

 fully. As far as my own experience and observation are 

 concerned, it does better work than the roller, from the fact 

 that the roller, if the ground is lumpy, will oftentimes press 

 the lumps into the ground without crushing them ; and the 

 drag, on the contrary, grinds the lumps all up, and com- 

 pletely pulverizes the surface : therefore it has been the 

 practice of our farmers in Essex County to use the drag in 

 preference to the roller for a good many years. I find it one 

 of the most important implements I have on the farm. I do 

 my first hoeing of potatoes, corn, pease, and almost every 

 crop, except the finer garden-crops, with the drag. Just 

 before those plants are ready to break the ground, the weeds 

 have made their appearance on the surface, and, by going 

 over the field with the drag, it just breaks the crust, and 

 kills every weed that has started, and does not affect or 



