PETER HENDERSON & CO.'S CATALOGUE OP SEEDS. 45 



TIE USI Of f II Illf II 8UD-80WITO. 



From the "American Agriculturist " for October, in: . 



BY PETER HENDERSON. 



For some years past I have, in writing on gardening matters, insisted upon the great im- 

 portance of "firming " the soil over the seeds after sowing, especially at seasons when the soil is 

 dry, or likely to become so. I know of no operation of more importance in either the farm or 

 the garden, and I trust that what I am about to say will be read and remembered by every one 

 not yet aware of the vast importance of the practice. I say "vast importance," for the loss to 

 the agricultural and horticultural community from the practice of loosely sowing seeds in hot 

 and dry soils is of a magnitude, which few will 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 there 

 is in most cases a certain preventitive. Some two years ago I related how our crop of nearly two 

 acres of celery plants was partially lost by neglecting to tread in the seeds, the dry heated air of 

 May shriveling them and destroying their vitality. Profiting by that lesson I last season sowed 

 two acres of celery seed (in quantity- about 20 lbs.), the rows being about nine inches apart — " the 

 marker " deepening the lines some two or three inches. After the man who sowed the seed, 

 there followed another, who, with the ball of the right foot, pressed down with his full weight 

 every inch of the soil over the seed. The ground was then lightly touched with a rake to level 

 it, a light roller was then passed over it, and the operation was completed. Our crop of plants, 

 notwithstanding the intense heat and drouth of the past summer, was as fine as it well could be, 

 every seed seeming to have germinated. Besides, this " firming " of the soil had also prevented 

 the dry, hot air from penetrating to the roots, so that, though we nearly averaged 90° during the 

 month of July, hardly a plant was burned off. Now, from the same bag of celery seed that pro- 

 duced these plants, we sold seed to some hundreds of our customers, and we have already had 

 scores of letters asking why their celery seed did not come up ; not a few of them insinuating 

 that the seed they had obtained was not good. To all such we, by letter, stated emphatically the 

 cause of failure, and I trust that all whose seeds of celery or anything else fail to germinate, will 

 first fairly investigate whether or not the fault has not been with themselves, rather than with 

 the seed. Some years ago, as an experiment, I sowed seeds of beets, turnips, corn, and spinach, 

 in July, treading in every alternate row. The beets and corn matured their crops in every in- 

 stance where the seed had been trodden in, and failed to do so where this had not been done. In 

 the case of the spinach and turnip seeds, the rows trod in germinated freely and at once, while 

 therows of those that had been left loose nearly failed entirely. The experiment was made with 

 a view to show that beets of all kinds sown as late as the first of July, when the seeds germinate 

 at once, have yet time to produce a crop, and sweet corn has time enough to produce its ears 

 sufficiently mature for use in the green state, and furthermore to prove what I had long believed, 

 that thousands upon thousands of acres of turnips fail from the want of ' ' firming " the soil when 

 the seed is sown. Of course if large areas are sown in turnips, the treading in with the foot 

 might not be practicable, the next best thing is the roller, but that must be heavy enough to 

 effect the purpose. As I have before hinted in the case of celery plants, the looseness of the soil 

 not only prevents rapid germination, but even if germination does take place, and a long period 

 of hot and dry weather follow, the young plant itself may be burned out, if the soil is loose, so 

 that the dry, heated air can penetrate to the weak and tender root. This burning out after the 

 seed has germinated, is sweeping in its effects on all seeds that are sown after midsummer, such 

 as spinach, beets, turnips, etc., if the weather is dry and the soil loose. I beg to caution my in- 

 experienced readers, 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 continued drouth, the treading 

 or rolling may be done a week or more after the seed has been sown, if there is reason to believe 

 that it may suffer from the dry, hot air. Another very important 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 

 seed.': 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. Such was our experience the past season in the two acres of celery plants alluded to, as 

 the rows of the celery were clearly defined before the weeds had germinated at all, so that the 

 hoe was applied at once, rendering the cost of culture less than half what it would have been 

 had the seeds of the celery and those of the weeds started simultaneously. 



