1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



223 



Much of the grass seed fails to germinate 

 from being covered too deeply. When sowed 

 ■with grain, the grain should be sowed and the 

 harrowing completed ; then the grass seed 

 should be sowed and followed with the roller 

 or brush harrow. Either of these simple im- 

 plements will give it all the covering it needs. 

 Clover seed may be sowed before a rain, or 

 upon the snow in the spring. Sowed in this 

 way, it will generally catch better than when 

 worked in with the harrow. When sowed in 

 the early fall without grain, a light harrow or 

 the brush will cover grass seed to a sufficient 

 depth. We would always roll the ground if 

 possible, before sowing grass seed. It is then 

 deposited more evenly upon the surface, and 

 the brush or harrow covers it more evenly and 

 uniformly. 



Many farmers may think that these minute 

 directions are mere trifling, and of no impor- 

 tance, but every skilful gardener knows that 

 his success often depends essentially upon bis 

 attention to them. Attention to little things 

 often leads to great results and the neglect of 

 them to great losses. 



USE THE ROIjIjER. 



Some three or four years ago we recommended 

 the use of the roller in the spring upon ground 

 that had been seeded in the previous autumn to 

 grain or gi-ass, and stated that it would prevent to 

 a great extent, the effects of what is called winter 

 killing. On heavy soil thus seeded down, the wa- 

 ter freezes in the surface and throws out many of 

 the roots of the grain and grass. These exposed 

 to the sun and wind soon dry up and perish. Some- 

 times we see a large part of the plants on consid- 

 erable patches of a fleld thus thrown out, and the 

 consequence is an almost entire loss of the crop. 

 If the roller is thoroughly applied to fields in this 

 condition as soon as the fro^t is out of the ground, 

 these rootswill be pressed into the ground, and 

 most of them will grow again. If a few bushels 

 of ashes, or two or three hundred pounds of plas- 

 ter to the acre are spread before the roller is ap- 

 plied, it will be all the better. 



We are reminded of our remarks upon this sub- 

 ject by some very sensible and timely words in a 

 recent number of the IVeitern Rural, in which the 

 writer advises the use of the harrow, folljowed by 

 the roller, where winter wheat has been thrown out 

 by the frost. This is a difficulty to which wheat 

 culture on the praiiies is very subject. The fierce 

 winds which prevail there also carry off the soil, 

 leaving the roots of the grain exposed, so that 

 plants are often found hanging by only one or two 

 roots to the ground. In all such cases he advises 

 the use of a sharp harrow, to be followed imme- 



diately by the roller, as soon in the spring as tue 

 ground will bear the team, without "mashing." He 

 says, "do not be afraid if you see a few plants 

 clinging to the harrow teeth. The roller will bury 

 them in the soil, and they will take root like trans- 

 planted cabbages." He gives his experience with 

 this practice for the past eight years, and says there 

 will be great need of it in his section the present 

 spring. 



Now we may be thought extravagant, but we 

 have no doubt that the faithful use of the roller 

 last spring on the fields sown broadcast to winter 

 wheat would have increased the crop of last year 

 several millions of bushels. Probably it would 

 have made up the estimated deficiency of fifteen 

 millions from the year before. 



Where the drill or plough was used to cover in 

 the wheat, the roller will not be as much needed in 

 the spring, because the roots will not be as badly 

 thrown out as in broadcast sowing. But it may 

 be often used to advantage «yen here, especially 

 when griss seed is sown with wheat, as the roller 

 leaves the surface smoother and better fitted for 

 the mowing machine and rake. 



Farmers throughout the country are coming to 

 the conclusion that better methods of wheat cul- 

 ture must be adopted if they would save the great 

 "bread crop" from utter deterioration and ruin ; 

 and the use of the roller in the spring is a useful 

 expedient that may be safely resorted to, so long 

 as broadcast sowing is practiced. When the time 

 comes in which we shall speak of planting wheat 

 and shall cease to use the term sowing altogether, 

 we shall use the hoe and cultivator, instead of the 

 roller. 



A CITY MERCHANT AS A FARMER. 



Many of our readers will remember a little no- 

 tice published la^t summer of the farming opera- 

 tions in Shrewsbury, Mass., of our friend Joab 

 Hapgood, whose name was so long connected with 

 the gun store at No. 15 Washington street. 



The change from a Boston store to a country 

 farm is so great that we had the curiosity to in- 

 quire what had been his four years' experience, not 

 on his phj'sical health, as his ruddy countenance 

 was a sufficient index of that, but on his agricul- 

 tural enthusiasm, and (arming expectations. We 

 were glad to find that he is as enthusiastic as ever, 

 and as ready to talk of cultivation, crops, and 

 profits as when he turned his back on Washington 

 street. 



His land being at no great distance from Wor- 

 cester, his operations take the form somewhat of 

 market gardening, though he still adheres to field 

 cultivation, raising both corn and hay. His. corn 

 field this year produced at the rate of sixty -eight 

 bushels per measured acre. His yellow corn is a 

 cross of the Webster and Parker varieties — 8 rows 

 and large kernels, of which 140 selected and about 

 160 average ears produce a bashel of shelled corn. 

 He showed us a tress of twelve ears which weighed 



