STOCKING THE GEOUND 117 



of seed sown is regulated by the size of the " handful '* 

 taken each time and by the length of the stride. The 

 longer the latter is, the thinner will the seed be sown. 



In some parts of the country a small machine called 

 a " fiddle " is used for broadcast sowing. This is hung 

 round the waist, and the distributing wheel worked by 

 drawing a cord, fitted to a stick, to and fro, in the same 

 manner as the bow is used when playing a violoncello, 

 the cord acting as a driving belt. 



Sowing is sometimes done on unploughed land where 

 the herbage is not rank, as on hillsides, where it is not 

 advisable to disturb the soil covering for fear of having 

 the soil washed away. 



A light harrowing should be given to make lodgment- 

 places for the seed, which is left for the rain to wash into 

 the soil. 



On ploughed land the seed should either be lightly 

 rolled or bush harrowed. 



Sowing in Drills. 



This method is usually adopted when sowing on pre 

 pared strips, and may either be done by hand, by sowing- 

 horn, or by the use of a machine drill. 



When the seed is sown in the two former ways, the 

 drills are made with a hoe, the seed sprinkled in thinly 

 in a continuous line or a few dropped every foot or so, 

 and lightly covered by hand. Acorns, Chestnuts, or 

 other large seeds, are usually dibbled in about 1 foot 

 apart, use being made of a similar tool to that described 

 for nursery work. 



