September i, '1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
2 43 
fallen, for the soil was dry as dust when planted. 
Tne 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 weie 
also to some extent enfecbhd 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 2nd, could be made to produce 
" roasting ears in October, when they never fail 
to sell freely at high rates ; but tho crop would not 
mature unless the seed germinated at once, and which 
would never be certain at that dry and hot season, 
unless by this method. 
The same season in August I treated seed3 of tur- 
nips and spinach in the same way ; those trod in 
germinated at once and made an excellent crop, while 
those unfirmed germinited but feebly, and were eventu- 
ally nearly all burned out by a continuance of dry hot air 
penetrating through the loose soil to tho tender rootlets. 
Of cour-e this rule of treading in or firming seeds 
after sowing must not be blindly followed. Very 
early in spring or late in fall, when the soil is damp, 
and no danger from heated dry air, there is no necessi- 
ty to do so ; or even at other seasons the soil may 
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 ensues, the seeds will germinate of 
course ; but if there is any likelihood of continued 
drought, the treading or rolling may be done a we^k 
or so after sowing, if it is at such a season, as titers is 
reason to believe that it may sutler from the dry hot air. 
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 oven more so in 
the case of plants, whose rootlets are even more 
sensitive to sucli influence than the dormant seed. 
Experienced professional horticulturists, however, 
are less likely to neglect this than to neglect in the 
case of seeds, for the damage from such neglect is 
easier to be seen, and hence better understood by the 
practical nurseryman. But with the inexperienced 
amateur, the ca»c is different. When he receives his 
package of trees or plants from the nurseryman, he 
bandies them as if they were glass. Every broken 
twig or root calls forth a complaint, and he proceeds 
to plant thorn gingerly, straightening out each root 
and sifting the soil around them. But he would no 
more stamp down that soil than he would stamp the 
soil of his mother's grave. So tho plant, in nine cases 
out of ten, is left loose and waggling, the dry air 
penetrates through the soil to its root?, the winds 
shake it, it shrivels up and fails to grow. Then 
conies the anathemas on the head of the unfortunate 
nurseryman, who is charged with selling him dead 
leaves or plants. 
About a mouth ago I sent a package of a dozen 
roses by mail to a lady in Savannah. She wrote me 
a wofnl story last week, saying that though tho roses 
had arrived seemingly all right, they had all died 
but one, and what was very singular, she said, tho 
one thai lived was the one that Mr. Jones stepped ' 
on, and which sho had thought suro was crushed to 
death, for Mr. Jones weighs '200 It). Now, though 
We do not advise any gentleman of 200 lb. putting 
his brogan on tho top of a tender rose plant as a 
practice conducive to its health, yet if Mrs. Jones 
could have allowed her weighty lord to press tho soil 
against the root of each of her dozon roses, I much 
doubt if she would now havo to mourn their loss. 
It has often been o wonder to many of us who 
havo been workers in tho soil for a generation how 
soiiiti of tho simplest methods of culture havo not been 
practised until wo wcro nearly done with lifu'a work. 
There are few of us but have bad such experience ; 
personally, I must say that I never pass through a 
year but I am confounded to find that some opera- 
tion can not only be more quickly done, but better 
done, than we have been in the habit of doing it. 
The improvements loom up from various causes, 
but mainly from suggestions thrown out by our em- 
ployees in charge of special departments, a system 
which we do all in our power to encourage. 
As a proof of the value of such improvements 
which have led to simplifying our operations, I will 
state the fact that though my area of green house 
surface is now more than doubly that which was in_ 
1870, and the land used in our florist's business one- 
third more, yet the number of hands employed is 
less than in 1870, and yet at the same time the 
quality of our stock is infinitely better now than then. 
Whether it is the higher price of labour in this 
country that forces us into labour-saving expedients, 
or the interchange of opinions from the greater of 
nationalities centreing here that gives us broader views 
of culture, I am not prepared to state; but that 
America is now selling nearly all the products of 
the green-bouse, garden, nursery and farm lower than 
is done in Europe admits of no question, and if my 
homely suggestions in this matter of firming the soil 
around newly-planted seeds or plants will in any degree 
assist us in still holding to the front, I will be gratified. 
USEFUL GARDEN RECIPES. 
To Make Black Varnish. — One gallon of coal tar, 
half a pint of spirits of turpentine, 2 oz. of oil of 
vitriol, stirred, and laid on like paint. Mix with a 
piece of wood or stick the tar and vitriol, and then 
add the turpentine, and apply it with a brush. Mix 
no more than you can use at once, and then apply it 
as it becomes thick. 
Bdne-Mral.— The value of bones (says the Journal 
of Horticulture) in various forms as a manure is ad- 
mitted, and bone-meal has been frequently recom- 
mended in our columns as a good and safe manure 
for plants and crops. We extract the followiug from 
our small manual Manures for the Many : — All bones 
contain more than half their weight of phosphate of 
lime, and are beneficial as a manure, because that 
chief coustituent phosphate of lime is also a constitu- 
ent of all plants ; and the gelatine which is also in 
bones is of itself a source of food to them. The 
bones must be applied to the crops in very small 
pieces, or in powder; and 101b., at the time of in- 
serting the seed, are enough for 30 squares yards, if 
sown broadcast ; and a much smaller quantity is 
sufficient if sprinkled along the drills in which the> 
seed is sown. There is no doubt that bone-dust may 
be employed with advantage in all gardens and to 
all garden crops ; but it has been experimented on 
most extensively with the turnip and potato, and with 
unfailing benefit. Mixed with sulphur, and drilled-iu 
with the turnip seed, it has been found to preserve 
the young plants from the lly. Mr. Knight found it 
beneficial when applied largely to stone fruit at the 
time of planting ; and it is quite as good for the vine. 
To lawns the dust has been applied with great ad- 
vantage when the grass was becoming tiiin. As a 
manure for the shrubbery, parterre, and green-house 
it is also most valuable ; and crushed as well as 
ground, is employed generally to mix with the soil 
of potted plants." The value of bone-meal has been 
rendered in the following expressive and suggestive 
vcr.se, which students iu school* of agriculture might 
woll commit to memory : — 
" No bone-dust, 110 turnips ; no turnips, no wheat ; 
No wheat and no turnips, no cattle, no meat ; 
No turnips, no cattle, nor manure iu tho yard. 
Make bills for tho doctors, aud farming go hard. - ' 
