Sowing. 



Some remarks have been made in these essays «a the sub- 

 ject of sowing, or properly covering seeds committed to the 

 earth ; but as it is of great importance that this process is cor- 

 rectly understood and practiced, the following remarks on this 

 subject, from the New-England Farmer, are too pertinent and 

 interesting to be omitted. 



"There are three ways of seeding the ground : 1, in hills, as 

 it is called, or in squares ; 2, in drills, or continued rows ; and 

 3, in the broad cast method, or at random with a cast of the 

 hand — which last method is always termed sowing. The first 

 requires the least quantity of seed, the last the greatest. But 

 the crops will not be in proportion to the different quantities of 

 seed. 



With regard to sowing, several things ought to be attended 

 to ; the quality or goodness of the seeds, the time of sowing 

 them, the depth that is best for them, and the quantity or pro- 

 portion of seed to the ground. 



The quality of the seed should be ascertained, in order to 

 determine the quantity that is proper to be sown; for if one 

 tenth part of the seeds, for instance, should be destitute of a 

 vegetative power, a tenth part more of such seeds should be 

 sown than the usual quantity, supposing the seeds to be in per-, 

 fection. 



In order to determine the goodness of the seed to be sown* 

 you should previously take fifty grains, at random, from the 

 parcel ; sow them in good mould, at a proper depth, and care- 

 fully observe how great a proportion fail of coming up. They 

 may be sown in a pot, ^nd kept in a warm part of the house, 

 or in hot bed, that the farmer may have timely notice of the 

 quality of his seeds, when it is too early in the spring to do it 

 in the open ground. Many have missed of a crop, by not tak- 

 ing thi« |)recaution. When seeds are suspected of being to« 



