98 GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 



tudinaliy with the rake, a light roller is passed over 

 them, and the operation is done. 



By this method our crop has never once failed, and 

 what is true of Celery and Cabbage seed is nearly as true 

 of all other seeds requiring to be sown during the late 

 spring or summer months. 



On July 3d of 1874, as an experiment, I sowed twelve 

 rows of Sweet Corn and twelve rows of Beets, treading 

 in, after sowing, every alternate row of each. In both 

 cases, those trodden in came up in four days, while those 

 unfirmed remained twelve days before starting, and 

 would not then have germinated had not rain fallen, for 

 the soil was as dry as dust when the seed was sown. 



The result was that the seeds that had been trodden 

 in grew freely from the start, and matured their crops 

 to a marketable condition by fall ; while the rows un- 

 firmed did not mature, as they were not only eight days 

 later in germinating, but the plants were also, to some 

 extent, enfeebled by being partially dried in the loose, 

 dry soil. 



This experiment was a most useful one, for it proved 

 that a corn crop, sown in the vicinity of New York as 

 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, and which would never be cer- 

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



The same season, in August, I treated seeds of Tur- 

 nips and Spinach in the same way. Those trodden in ger- 

 minated at once and made an excellent crop, while those 

 unfirmed germinated feebly, and were eventually nearly 

 all burned out by a continuance of dry, hot air penetrat- 

 ing 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, 



