SEED SOWING 



67 



the soil on the seed, and a marker for the next row. To 

 use a garden seed drill most successfully requires good 

 judgment, but a little careful experimenting will soon 

 enable any one accustomed to tools to handle these most use- 

 ful implements to good advantage. Sometimes it is desirable 

 to sow seed when the ground is so wet that it is not safe to 

 firm the soil over it. When such is the case the rear wheel 

 is removed in sowing. In other cases when it is desirable 

 to firm the soil more compactly, the press wheel may be 

 used for this purpose by going over the rows a second 

 time. It is a good plan 

 in doing this to remove 

 the drill point or else tip 

 the machine until the 

 point is off the ground. 

 In the case of a few 

 seeds that are rather de'- 

 icate when germinating, 

 it is a good plan to sow 

 the rows a second time 

 with the seed drill and 

 thus mix the seed up with the soil. This method puts in 

 a large amount of seed, which is sown at various depths, 

 so that some is sure to grow. 



Sowing Seed by Hand. When only a very small quan- 

 tity of seed is to be sown, it is often best to sow it by hand. 

 When this is the plan the rows are made by the garden 

 marker and the seed distributed in them evenly by hand. 

 The rows are then covered by the soil being drawn into 

 them with a rake and are firmed by passing over the seed 

 with the feet. If the soil is dry it cannot be made too firm; 

 if moist, care must be used to prevent packing it too hard. 

 In the case of very fine seed sown in dry weather, many 



Fig. 21. The Columbia drill. 



