The Busy Woman s Garden Book 



to do an hundred foot row by hand, and the drill 

 will do it better, opening up the rows, sowing the 

 seed and covering all in one operation. If, how- 

 ever, one is not possessed of this convenient imple- 

 ment one can do very well without by removing 

 one hoe of the hand cultivator, or by reversing 

 both hoes and bringing the points together and 

 opening a drill to receive the seed and covering it 

 with the hoe or rake, or it may even be opened 

 with a trowel, which though laborious, is a very 

 effectual way. 



The soil must always be firmed above the seed 

 after sowing, either by means of a flat piece of 

 board, with a handle on one surface or, in the 

 case of large seeds by tramping the rows with 

 the feet ; this firming of the soil is most important, 

 it brings the soil close about the seed so that 

 the first little root — a very tiny, delicate little 

 root, feeling its way about in search of nourish- 

 ment can come at once into contact with the warm 

 soil and obtain the food and moisture so critically 

 needed at this juncture of its little life. The 

 firming of the soil conserves the moisture, pre- 



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