352 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



seems to be about right per acre, endeavor to take about so much 

 at every handful. 



495. Always throw grain as the opposite foot rises. If the 

 foot on the same side with the hand that sows, rises as the hand 

 throws the grain, a man will find it much more difficult to go for 

 ward. But if the opposite foot rises with the forward motion of 

 the hand, the sower will move much easier than if he raises the 

 foot on the same side of the hand that sows. 



496. In sowing, either by furrows or stakes, always throw the 

 grain from the margin of the field, because one can sow much 

 more evenly up to the margin by throwing away from it, than he 

 can to throw towards it. Let the grain slip off the ends of the 

 fingers, and not between the thumb and fingers, nor betiveen the 

 fingers. Make calculations how wide to sow at one through or 

 once across, and endeavor to give the grain such a cast that it 

 will come down as evenly as possible. 



497. In sowing by middle furrows and ridges, which, if the 

 plowing has been done correctly, will be just twenty-two feet 

 apart, I always sow just eleven feet to a cast. I can usually sow 

 more evenly by walking about midway from each edge of the 

 strip that I am sowing. It matters little where a sower walks, 

 if he only distributes his grain evenly. 



498. Casting the grain all one way is the most approved man 

 ner of sowing, with many farmers. When sowing is performed 

 in this manner, some farmers mark out the ground with marks 

 just eleven feet apart, and the sower travels in the marks ; and if 

 he commences sowing east and west on the north margin of the 

 field, he starts at the east end, travelling on the margin, and casts 

 the grain to the south with his right hand, sowing up to the first 

 mark. Now, when travelling to the east, he walks in the mark 

 and casts his grain to the south with his left hand, and so on, until 

 the entire field is finished. 



499. Some farmers walk in the middle furrow, and cast the 

 grain half way from the furrow to the ridge, and in returning 

 travel on the ridge, and with the same hand cast the grain from 

 the ridge, half way to the middle furrow, and then return on the 



