Show compacting the soil how is it once asked a young friend of us that every cutting you touch will grow while only a small part of mine succeed we were both amateur gardeners and ano anc as neighbors indulged jn in a friendly r viry rivalry wo we gave him the secret ol 01 our touch which was to always press the soil firmly around the cuttings af after ter this he had no cause to complain of failure this matter ol 01 bringing tho soil soll in close contact not only with cuttings but with rooted plants and seeds beads Is of the greatest importance and its neglect Is a frequent source of failure it 11 the soil oli oil la is left loosely around a cutting or around a seed seeds the me minute root jn in either case caso as it pushes may fall fail to come came in contact with the needed moist soli soil and perish dor for tha tho want of bf it when ripe hipe wood cuttings such as those of the currant are set get cut in the open ground and one lot jot have the earth thoroughly pressed against their lower portion even pounded down to make sure every one will grow if this la Is neglected more or less will fail fall so in setting out plants such as those of cabbage celery ete etc the market make sure that the the soil soll shall be brought close to the roots toots by going along the row and pressing it firmly to the plant with the feet in an article we printed a few years ago mr peter henderson showed that success with raising raisin his crop of celery plants was due to the fact th sowing the seed he had the whole surface of thoroll the soil of the bod bad well patted down with the back backe of the spade the end is accomplished on a large scale by the use of a roller but in small beds the spade is an excellent substitute in setting out trees or shrubs the more carefully the soil is filled in and worked in among the roots and firmly pressed not stamped d own with the foot the greater the chances of suc Enc success buc euc ceba cesa even in laying turf or sods the roots of the grass should be brought in close contact with the soil by the use of a vi 96 beater 11 a piece of heavy plank with a handle or by beating down with the back of the tho he spade |