AND CATTLE DOCTOR. 269 



ployed, is from two to three bushels, according to the 

 quality of the land : but, as the crops are greatly in- 

 jured by the plants standing too closely together, two 

 bushels, or two and a half, may be a more advantage- 

 ous quantity. 



As the hemp plant is extremely tender in its oariy 

 growth, care should be taken not to put the seed into 

 the ground at so early a period, as Ih^ it may be 

 liable to be injured by the effects of frost ; nor to pro- 

 tract the sowing to so late a season, as that the quality 

 of the produce may be affected. The best season, on 

 the drier sorts of land, in the southern districts, is, as 

 soon as possible after the frosts are over in April, and, 

 on the same descriptions of soil, in the more northern 

 ones, towards the close of the same month, or early 

 in the ensuing one. 



Method of sowing. 



The most general method of putting crops of this 

 sort into the soil is the broadcast, the seed being dis- 

 persed over the surface of the land in as even a man- 

 ner as possible, and afterwards covered in by means 

 of a very light harrowing. In many cases, however, 

 especially where the crops are ta stand for seed, the 

 drill method in rows, at small distances, might be had 

 recourse to with advantage : as, in this way the early 

 growth of the plants would be more effectually pro- 

 moted, and the land be kept in a more clean and per- 

 fect state of mould, which are circumstances of im- 

 portance in such crops. In whatever method the seed 

 is put in, care must constantly b# taken to keep the 

 birds from it for some time afterwards. 



This sort of crop is frequently cultivated on the 

 same pieces of ground for a great number of years, 

 23* 



