, 1860-08-10

p!oynent Of the roller, is 10 break those cl IDS Of
earth which have resisted the action Of the bar-
row or, at least, to bury them in the ground,
ao that at the next h.rrowing-~hich when
thus buried ltey cannot we'll eseape-they must
oi necessity be diminished in size. It is for
this reason that in countries where the soil is
very tenacious, and tilage very carefully con.
ducted, it ia the custom, even ter preparatory
p Oh ing, first to harrow, then to pass the roller
over the ground, ard then to hsrrox aga.n. In
such c1uut''+s, land not trested inlh manner
wonld be looked upon as very badly prepared.
The second o! ject Of rolling is to give some
what greater degree Of cumpactness to soil
which is too light and friable, and to unite its
mponent paris. The roller is perhaps no here
employed 10 20 great an extent ~ it might be
with advantage; Its action in this case being
hikhiy beneficial, particularly in counteractipg
soils BY the too frequent use Of the pillow, and
tikewise in preventing The too rapid eyapora-
t,oo Of the moisture contained in the soil. This
application Of the roller is particularly resnrt d
to On the epopgy tolls Of valleys; in such situa-
items, indeed, it cannot We be d'spt nsed with.
The third use to which the rollsr is applied,
is to press down and make firm the ground
about newly Bo~D seeds, and to cause them to
adhere better to The soil Sometimes, when
very small seed is to be sowu, it is found adsaa-
tageous to pass the roller oTer the ground be-
fore the seed ia scattered so As to 1=vel II thor
ougtly, and facilitate a more equal distribution
Of the seed than could otherwise take place.
Where the ground has been Tins lereled, those
seeds which happen to fall together, separate
from each other; aud It seldom happens that
tao arc found lying IN one spot. The harrow
is then passed over the ground; aud this ope-
ration is followed by repeated rollipgs, which
obliterate the lines drawn by the harrow. The
roller may also be employed with advantage on
soils which are neither particularly moist nor
tenacious, after the harrow has been used to
coyer the seed. This operation serves to press
seed, wticb then germinates and spriogs up
With much greater rapidity. The truth Of thus
will be plainly seen by observing those parts
which lave escaped the action Of the roller;
Tor then the seed does not spring up 90 quickly.
Probably, too. the pressure may, By the greater
any rays Of Light from penetrating, and thus
interfering with the process Of germinatlnu.
Another afvantage derived from this leveling
o! the soil by the roller is, that the labor Of
harvesting is grta'ly lishtened; for it enables
US to reap or NOW much nearer ,le grouud, and
at the same time 10 keep our footing more sure.
Tic fourth great use Of the roller is to cover
the roots Of those plants sown in the preceding
season, and which have beea de'ached bv the
frost. Soils T1ch in humor, such as those found
ia valleys, sometimes swell mp in the spring to
such degree that the roots Of the pl3nts con.
tanned in them are forced pp. IN euca cases, ii
a fall Of ram does not speedily occur, The roller
affords The only mcaIs Of restoring them to
their proper position.
Lastly, the roller is sometimes employed for
the purpose OF destroying insects, which iujuse
the young planta, and which, particularly du.
ring the night, come up to the surface to seek
their food. When spilled for this last men.
toned purpose, the operation Of rolling should,
IL f,An IT, unnS -
We shall not recommend any particular st5 le
Of rolsr; but merely otfer few sug3estions
Rollers armed with iron points, the intention ol
which IS to effect = murs complete division oi
the cIods. can only be used on very dry soils
and when the proper time for successful har
rowing has been suffered to pass. Whers the
| soi is 4rxillacious, aud likewise contains moist
ure, il sticks 10 ths points and becomes irmt,
| amassed between them, that the entire surface
is aeon covered with it. and the points ce1se to
produce any effect
II is Necessary that favorable period aud
weather, when the ground is sufficiently dry
Should be chosen for roIlipg-just the same !,
for narrowing. The humidity Of the soil should
| not be 10 Gls2t a to cause adherence to tht
roller; for when that il the case. the operation
is likely 10 prove more injurious than benef
| ciai, not only to tenacious aud cayey soils, bu
atso to thots which are Lighter; inaanuch /. il
hs1dens the ground, and forms over it a crus
which IL tmperviou& To Air and atmospheric 10
!! ton. On the othsr hand, howersr, it is no
! have, by tho separation Of Ill their moisture
! bsec ms 10 hard u to render The action Of Ii.
! roller on them totally inefieseiouf.
We balieve that our fsaders will thank NJ To-
| derotnR 70 much space to this subject 1t 4
reasonable at this time, a prepkra&ione vii
aoon be made for sowing winter wheat and rye
Every farmer should haVe roller.