THE FOREST NURSERY 



275 



strips of wood, approximately an inch in width, joined together 

 to form a trough. Small rectangular notches are cut in one of 

 the pieces so that when the two are joined the notches are at 

 the bottom of the trough. The size and spacing of the notches 

 determine the amount of seed sown in the drill. 



In order to facilitate the rapid filling of the seeding lath a seed- 

 box is advantageous. This box is slightly longer than the lath, 

 curved at the bottom, and 6 or more inches in diameter. The 

 lath is inserted in the box of seed and the trough completely filled ; 

 It is then removed and partially inverted over the box, causing 



FIG. 59. Eszlinger's seeding lath. 



a. Lath showing the size and spacing of the notches. 



b. Enlarged section of the lath. 



c. Cross-section of lath inverted over the drill. 



all the seed to fall back except that in the regularly-spaced notches 

 or depressions. The lath is now brought over the drill and com- 

 pletely inverted, causing all the seed to fall into it. The drills 

 should be made broad and shallow. They are usually made with 

 a marking board on which the battens are 1 inch wide and J inch 

 thick. The drill should be as wide as the trough in the seeding 

 lath, so that when the latter is inverted all the seed will fall into 

 it. As the density of seeding depends upon the size and number 

 of notches in the trough, a different lath must be available for 

 each quantity of seed sown (Fig. 59). 



