The Portland daily press., 1879-10-21
AGRICULTURAL.
Planting and Transplanting.

The well-known three requisites Tor the
termination of seeds are heat, air and moist
ure. but not light. In a cold soil they re-
main dormant; if too dry they will not
sprout, and if buried deep and compacily
beyond the action of the air, no movement
towards growth takes place. The small
seeds of weeds often remain in the soil for
wears when turned under deep by the plow;
when brought again to the surface, the new
and copous growth which at once takes
place has led superficial observers to the erro-
nsous notion that they have sprung up spon-
taneously. Nurserymen sometimes Keep
peach stones dormant year when they hap
pen to have surplus, by placing them two
feet under the soil till needed The depth
for planting must depend largely on the
size of the seed; and the general rule has
been given to bury them from three 10 lVe
times as deep as their diameter. This rule
will vary somewhat with the nature and con-
dition of the soil. If heavy and moist the
depth should be less than in light, dry and
porous soil. In moist, well-pulverized
soil, most seeds, whether large or small, will
grow if merely covered and kept moist; but
this condition cannot be commonly contlliu-
ed, as a few dry and warm days will dry the
surface of the soil and prevent the germlna-
ton of the seed. Hence the common prac-
tice to vary these rules with circumstances.
SSNs~O--
ground is moist, will grow freely if buried
only an inch deep; but under ordinary cir
cumstances two inches will be better 1t
will find its way feebly to the surface after
many days when buried six inches below.
Early in autumn, when winter wheat is sown
or drilled in, the soil is usually much dryer
than in complaining time, and for this rea-
son, although the seeds are much smaller
than grains of corn, it should be placed at
1, s. oh I'm n
should be planted deeper than in wet one,
and the old practice of pressing each hill
with the hoe when the work was done by
hand. was useful when tn. soil was dry.
When planting is done with machine,
roller to follow the tube would be useful i'll
dry weather.
In a dry season, as the present has been III
many places, much care is required to I'M
part sufficient moisture to seeds when plant
ed. Ii the particles OF soil are dry, the
small grains or humps which compose IL VIII
touch the seed only at few points and the
chances for its termination will be small;
Even if moistand by shower, the waterWlll
be conveyed to the seed only a few points
of contact, 1t is better, therefore, to plant
seed after shower than before 1t, as the
soil is rendered moist and yielding, and
pressing the whole surface OF the SEED,
causes termination at once. On this prlh-
ciple, experiment has shown that under
common conditions seeds grow much better
if planted after than before the rain. The
exceptions are, when the soil has been so
finely puverized that it cases the seed well
on all sides while yet dry; and when the
rain is so copious that it fills with water for
a sufficient time the interstices which sur
round the seed.
An interesting experiment was reported
by Peter Henderson at the late Nurseymen's
Convention at Cleveland, showing the i'm
portance of compactly enclosing the seed
with soil. Early in July he sowed twelve
rows of sweet corn and twelve rows OF beets
treading in the seed after. sowing in every
alternate row. In both cases, those which
were trodden in, came up in four days,
while the others remained twelve days be-
fore starting, and would not have germin-
ated then, had not rain fallen, for the soil
was quite dry when they were planted. The
seeds that were trodden, grew freely from
the start and matured their crops for mar
ket by fall. The untrodden rows dld On not O.;
mature, as they were eight days later in
starting, and the plants were partly en-
feebled, besides.
The same general rules apply in some de-
gree to setting out vegetables, and in trans
planting trees. If the soil is dry it Will not
come in contact with the whole surface OF
the roots unless finely pulverized and pressed
against them, and this process is assisted by
pouring in water to soften the soil. taking
care to cover the surface finally with the
pulverized earth. Some writer's prescribe
the use of water in transplanting in all cases
whatever the condition may be; others as
uniformly object to the practice. The truth
is, the rule should be adapted to circum-
stances, and every planter should have in
telligence and experience enough to know
when each course would be advisable. Mr..
Henderson, in the article above quoted, says
he sent dozen rose bushes to LAZY at
Savannah. and he subsequently received
woful story of the death of every one, with
the singular exception of one on which tat
and heavy man had accidentally trodden.
This awkwardness on his part pressed the
dry soil about the roots and saved it; the
others, loosely buried in dry earth, persisted.
In conclusion we may give the following
brief extracts from Mr.. Henderson's re-
marks:
Experienced professional horticulturalists,
however, are less likely to neglect this with
plants than in the case of seeds, for the dam
age from such neglect is easier to be seen,
and hence better understood. But with the
inexperienced amateur the case is different
When he receives his package OF trees or
plants from the nurseryman, he handles
them as if they were glasS; every broken
root call forth a complaint, and he proceeds
to plant them gingerly, Strengthening out
each root and sitting the soil around
them, but he would no more stamp down
that soil, than he would stamp on the soil
of his mothers grave. So the plant, in nine
cases out of ten is left loose and wagging,
the dry air penetrating through the soil 70
it's roots, the winds shake it, and it shrivels
up and fails to grow.
It has often been wonder to many OF us
who have been workers in the soil for a gen
Grafton, how some of the simplest methods
of cultivation have not been practiced soon
er. Inever pass through a year but am
COMPOUNDED to find that some operation can
not only be quicker done, but better done
than we have been in the habit of doing it,
These improvements loom up from various
causes, but mainly from suggestions thrown
out by our employers in charge of special
departments-a system which we do all in
our power to encourage.
As proof of the value of such improve
ments which lead to simplifying our opera
tions, will state the fact that though my
area of greenhouse surface is now more
than double that which / was in 1880, and
the land used in our florists business is one
third more, yet the number OF hands EN-
ployed is less now than in 1870, and at the
same time the quality of our stock is Infinite
ly better now than then.
There are people who think raising poul-
try and eggs for market is small business,
anyway. Let all such mediate on the fol-
lowing figures: Over 10000 car loads of live
and dressed fowls are carried to New York
city yearly, and 25,000,00l dozen eggs 60 to
the same market.
Cincinnati, as the chief city of great
wool-producing State, and from its proxmi-
ty to the great sheep growing regions of Ken
lucky and Tennessee, leads any other city in
the Union in the number of sheep received
and shipped yearly. In July the total num-
Der received was 1875, S6S head
Illinois is considered tolerably well set
tied State, but with 100000 acres under
cultivation it has 100000 acres uncultivat-
ed, an area as large as Massachusetts and
Connecticut puttogether.
Our exports of agricultural implements in
1878 were of a total value of S2,551 ,269,
against 81, 7S1 OPP in 1877. The amount sent
abroad this year will be still greater, as the
damand from Russia and SOuth America is