The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-10-28
Agritnltural.
Rolling the Ground.

Many cultivaiors Of the soil, not except
ing some of the best, frequently err IN
leaving their soil 20 loose about their trees
and plants In new plantations of straw
berries, this is a common cause of failure.
The ground is dug, line "stretched," and
plants set out all in one day and contin-
ual watering, shading, or other care is ne.
cessary to keep the young plants from
whitening, if the weather proves dry for
few days allerp painting.
1t may be set down as a rule, that after
turning up the soil, 1t cannot again be
pressed down too firmly, if dry enough to
pulverize by the rolling. This seems to
be better understood by the farmer than
the gardener. The roller is an indispen-
sable implement OF cultivation TO him A.; but
to the gardener it is almost Unknowa for
any other purposes than for using when
the ground is wet, to !gye. his lawn or
harden his walks.
Yeti may be used 10 very great advan-
tage in numherless casrs.
To suppose case with an extensive
stawberry-grower. Let the ground be
first ploughed up, narrowed level, and the
plants set out. The next day after, when
the upper surface Of soil is dry enough to
to crumble, let a householder he drawn
over the whole place, and the benefit
would be incalcuable.
We have never known this to be done
in this way, but we have often seen it
praclised' in small gardens in smaller way
ha ni,1
: lent results. We know one culIivator
who is a great advocate of September
planting,-for all successful cul.iva,ors
have their particular shines" for the
success that might, perhaps, be proper
ly accounted for by other reasons,-
and he always follows the pressing
plan. The merest novice knows that
if a stawberry has its own crown cover
ed by the soil in trausplanting the heart
is apt TO rot away; and yet, when the soil
is loose, if they are not deeply planted
they soon dry and wither away. Our
friend plants very shallow. He sets them
in fact, SO as TO barely cover the ibres.-
After setting each row he goes over, and
setting his foot on each plant, presses it
firmly into the ground. In the course Cf
day he goes over the whole patch, watch
iug for any that may appearo little wilted.
They get no water if he does find any Of
ihem,--nothing but another firm pressure
of the foot. 1t may not rain for weeks,
but we do not remember of his having any
failure to speak If.
so far as the ''loosening of the soil''
means pulverizing in cultivation, it is an
idea Of the first importance. Digging and
ploughing are not so much to make the
soil loose, as they arc t. commute and
separate one small particle Of the soil from
another, so as to make as many absorbent
surfaces as possible; aud this can be bet
ter accomplished by. heavy pressure on
partially dry soil, than by any other way.
Plant cultivators, we think, are f .rther
ahead i'll this knowledge than the operators
in other departments of gardening. The
best of them choose rather dry soil for
potting, and then ram it in around the
plants as tightly as possible, and always
with good results. The finer the tibres,
usually, as in heaths and azaleas, the tight
er is the soil pressed; but it is singular that
the very men who understand this best,
seem to forget it in their outdoor opera
tons.
Many a transplanted tree that would
otherwise die, can be saved by having the
soil about beaten hard when dry. The
finely powdered soil seems 10 have the
power Of absorbing moisture from the air
and in many other ways will the practice
be found immensely beneficial,
There are innumerable instances where
the roller would be of far more benefit to
the crop tEan the WATERPROOF. We have
no doubt many of these WI! readily occur
to skilful cullivators, and we are sure it is
only necessary for us to refer 10 the mat
ter as we have done, to receive a response
from them, that sit is quite correct, but we
did not think Of it, Gardeners .Monlt-
7y