42 MARKET GARDENING. 



ground, to fertilize, to open trenches, or cast up ridges, 

 whether to drill in long parallel rows, or across narrow 

 beds, all of which operations are preliminary to the 

 actual operations of seeding. The practice of seeding 

 differs on the part of equally capable men ; the conditions, 

 the quantity to be grown, and whether for family or 

 market garden, leading to variations in processes. 



Much disappointment in the garden often results 

 from ignorant practices, as from unseasonable sowing, 

 as from too deep or too shallow covering, from injudi- 

 cious selection of varieties, from inefficient thinning out 

 that the plants may have room to properly develop, from 

 want of preparatory tillage and subsequent cultivation. 

 Of course, the amount of seed properly sown to the acre, 

 or to the row, by persons of equal experience, differs as 

 much as does their process of sowing or method of culti- 

 vation. It is generally considered, however, that it is 

 unwise to spare the amount of seed, as the difference in 

 cost of a thick seeding, compared w^ith a thin one, 

 amounts to little as compared with the disappointment, 

 and, still greater, the loss resulting from a deficient stand 

 of plants. Ordinarily the quantity of seed to be sown is 

 said to be so many bushels or so many pounds to the 

 acre, but this does not, by any means, indicate to the 

 gardener, who may only have one acre on which to plant 

 all his crops, the amount he should obtain to meet his 

 necessities. It is better, in such cases, to indicate the 

 quantity of seed required to sow one hundred yards of 

 continuous rows, as the gardener, measuring the length 

 of the rows intended to be devoted to various kinds of 

 plants, can calculate exactly how many ounces or quarts 

 he should procure. Such a ready table for reference 

 will be found in the following : 



Seeds Required for a Row One Hundred Yards Long. 

 One ounce of cabbage, cauliflower, coUards, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, 



egg-plant, kale, kohl-rabi, pepper, squash, pumpkin, tomato, 



turnip. 



