280 AttllieFLTWRAli ESSAYS. 



But there are other circumstances to be taken into the account 

 which may further vary the seaedn for spring sowing. A light 

 warm soil may receive the seeds earlier than one that is strong 

 tnd moist The former will arrive to the right degree of dry- 

 ness sooner than the latter, and is earlier fit for the operations 

 •f tillage. And this is certain, that seeds that require the ear- 

 liest sowing, must not be sown befoie the earth can be well 

 pulverized. Neither should plants that are easily killed by 

 frost, be 60 early sown as to be up till the spring frosts are 

 past. 



If seeds are sown too early, or when the ground is too wet 

 %nd cold for them, they will either perish or fail of coming up J 

 •r if they come up, it is slowly, so that the plants become 6tin^ 

 ed in their growth, and never arrive to a full size. If the 

 right season for sowing should elapse, the husbandman may 

 accelerate vegetation by steeping the seeds in a ley of wood 

 ashes, or other proper monstruum, so that they may overtake 

 in their growth those which were sown in the right season. 



The depth at which different seeds should be buried in the 

 •oil, is various, according to the difference in seeds and soils, 

 M. Duhamel found by experiment, that but few seeds will 

 come up at all, when buried deeper than nine inches ; that 

 some seeds rise very well from the depth of six inches ; and 

 that other seeds do not rise at all when they are more than two 

 inches under the surface. And in general, those seeds the 

 body of which are thrown above the surface in vegetating, 

 ihould have the less quantity of soil above them, that they may 

 ■ot meet with too much resistance in rising ; such as kidney 

 beans, and many other sorts. Also the same may and ought 

 to be buried deeper in a light and dry, than in a heavy and 

 moist soil. When the ground is rolled after sowing, the seeds 

 will vegetate the nearer to the surface. And therefore they 

 donot need to be sown so deep as when the rolling is omitted. 

 To d&termiDO what ia tho ri^ht depth iti a doubtful case^ Mr. 



