68 A MANUAL OF FORESTRY. 



the bottom of the trench to serve as a seed-bed, or 

 better still, it is at once placed into the previously made 

 trench. 



The seed is sown by hand and covered either by hand 

 or with a rake. Where the trenches can be filled 

 artificially with water, or irrigated, the seed is fre- 

 quently sown on the upper edge of the ditch (Fig. 35), 

 so that it receives sufficient moisture by percolation, 

 without being destroyed by an excess of water. Where 



a. Soil taken out of the trench. b. Trench filled with water. 



c. Seed-bed. 



irrigation water is not available, and the rainfall 

 variable, seed may be sown, both at the bottom of the 

 ditch and along one of the upper edges. In the case of 

 a scanty rainfall the former will succeed, and in case of 

 a wet year, the latter. 



The method is indicated in dry hot localities, and 

 where irrigation is practicable. As it is expensive, 

 it should only be adopted in cases where a cheaper 

 method is not likely to yield satisfactory results. The 

 pit method is cheaper than trench-sowing, but it fre- 

 quently yields less favourable results and is not appli- 

 cable where irrigation is contemplated. 



