GENERAL REMARKS. 11 



Weather be hot and the ground dry ; if this beplanted a 

 little deeper, it may escape the violent heat of the sun, and 

 in the event of a shower, the ground would become suffici- 

 ently moist to bring it up ; whereas it sometimes happens 

 that^seed sown after a shower does not vegetate until after the 

 season is too far advanced to bring the crop to perfection. 



The work of drilling by those who have no machine, may 

 be performed in various ways ; in some cases a plough is 

 used, in others a small hoe, or a dibble drawn along the edge 

 of a board or line ; it is of little consequence which way the 

 work is done, if it be well done. While I leave the gardener 

 to make his own choice of tools, I would suggest that he be 

 provided with two or three drilling machines ; these, every 

 handy man may make for himself; they should be in the 

 form of a garden rake, with a stout heavy back, and five 

 teeth, two inches broad, and tapered so as to enter the ground, 

 and leave drills two inches deep. If one be made with the 

 teeth eight inches apart, another twelve, and another fourteen, 

 they will be useful in making drills for various seeds; and 

 drills thus made serve instead of straining a line when trans- 

 planting Cabbage, Lettuce, Leek plants, &c. the line being 

 stretched at one edge of the bed, and the drilling machine 

 drawn straight by the line, makes five drills at once. If they 

 are straight, they may be kept so, by keeping one drill open 

 for the outside tooth to work in, until the ground be all drilled. 



Gardeners practice different methods of covering up seed, 

 some do it with a hoe, others with a rake or harrow ; some 

 draw a portion of the earth to the side of the bed; and after 

 sowing the seed, return it regularly over the bed ; in some 

 particular cases a sieve is used, in others a roller. Rolling 

 or treading in seed, is necessary in dry seasons, but it should 

 never be done when the ground is wet. 



There is nothing that protects young crops of Turnips, 

 Cabbi^e, and other small plants, from the depredations o* 

 the fly, so well as rolling; for when the surface is rendered 

 completely smooth, these insects are deprived of the harbou r 

 they would otherwise have under the clods and small lumps 

 of earth. This method will be found more effectual than 



