212 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS. 



believe until they have witnessed it ; and it is a loss all 

 the more to be regretted, when we know that by " firming " 

 the soil around the seed or plant, there is, in most cases, 

 a certain preventive. 



Particularly in the sowing of seeds, I consider the matter 

 of such vast importance, that it cannot be too often or too 

 strongly told; for the loss to the agricultural and horti- 

 cultural community, by the neglect of the simple opera- 

 tion of firming the soil around the seed, must amount to 

 many millions annually. For the mischief done is not 

 confined only to the less important garden operations, 

 but even Corn, Cotton, Wheat, Turnips, Grasses, and 

 other important crops of the farm often fail, as thou- 

 sands of farmers know to their sorrow, in hot and 

 dry soils, by being sown without being firmed sufficiently 

 to prevent the dry air shriveling or drying the seeds. 

 Of course, the use of the feet is impracticable in firming 

 seeds on the farm, but a heavy roller, applied after sowing, 

 is an absolute necessity under certain conditions of the 

 soil, to insure perfect germination, which is indispensable 

 to a perfect crop. 



From the middle of April to nearly the end of May of 

 this year, in many sections of the country, there was little 

 or no rain. Such was particularly the case in the vicinity 

 of New York City, where we have hundreds of market 

 gardeners, who cultivate thousands of acres of Cabbage, 

 Cauliflower, and Celery, but the "dry spring" has played 

 sad havoc with their seed-beds. Celery is not one-fourth 

 of a crop, and Cabbage and Cauliflower hardly half, and 

 this failure is due to no other cause than that they persist 

 in sowing their seeds without ever taking the precaution 

 to firm the soil by rolling. 



We sow annually about four acres in Celery, Cabbage, 

 and Cauliflower seeds, which produce probably five mil- 



