214 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS. 



late as July 2d, could be made to produce " roasting 

 ears " in October, when they never fail to sell freely at 

 high rates ; but the crop would not mature unless the 

 seed germinated at once, which would never be certain 

 at that dry and hot season, unless by this method. 



The same season, in August, I treated seeds of Turnips 

 and Spinach in the same way. Those trod in germinated 

 at once, and made an excellent crop, while those un- 

 firmed germinated feebly, and were eventually nearly all 

 burned out by a continuance of dry, hot air penetrating 

 through the loose soil to the tender rootlets. 



I beg to caution the inexperienced, however, by no 

 means to tread or roll in seed if the ground is not dry. 

 The soil may often be in a suitable condition to sow, and 

 yet be too damp to be trodden upon or rolled. In such 

 cases these operations may not be necessary at all, for if 

 rainy weather ensue, the seeds will germinate of course ; 

 but if there is any likelihood of a continued drought, the 

 treading or rolling may be done a week or more after the 

 seed has been sown, if there is any reason to believe that 

 it may suffer from the dry, hot air. Another very im- 

 portant advantage gained by treading in the seeds is, that 

 when we have crops of Beets, Celery, Turnips, Spinach, or 

 anything else that is sown in rows, the seeds to form the 

 crop come up at once ; while the seeds of the weeds, that 

 are just as liable to perish by the heat as are those of the 

 crop, are retarded. Such of the weed seeds as lie in the 

 space between the rows when the soil is loose, will not 

 germinate as quickly as those of the crop sown ; and 

 hence we can cultivate between the rows before the 

 weeds germinate at all. 



Now, if firming the soil around seed, to protect it from 

 the influence of a dry and hot atmosphere, is a necessity, 

 it is obvious that it is quite as much so in the case of plants, 



