REQUIREMENTS IN SEED PLANTING 109 



direct tramping or by tramping a narrow board placed upon the 

 sown row, or tamped down with a block with a long handle, or by 

 using the garden or field roller, or by flat slaps with the back of the 

 planting hoe, it matters not ; it is only essential that the firming of 

 the inclosing layer should be given unless immediate water settling 

 of the ground is anticipated. And this firming is conditioned in 

 degree upon soil and season just as depth of covering is, viz. : light 

 soil or late in season, heaviest firming; heavier soil or early in sea- 

 son, lighter firming. The reason for firming is the restoration of 

 capillarity to the loose layer, consequently adequate moisture supply 

 to the germinating seed. But when this capillarity has served its 

 purpose and the root has penetrated the permanently moist layers 

 below, this capillarity near the surface must be destroyed by culti- 

 vation and the surface layer again loosened so that it will not trans- 

 mit moisture. Therefore, as prescribed in an earlier, chapter the 

 hoe or cultivator must be started as soon as the young plants can be 

 seen, and in some larger seeds where the firmed layer has been 

 crusted by a shower a light harrowing or raking may be desirable to 

 release the shoots from the too compact covering which has come 

 over them. 



Third : Soil opening. The converse of firming the soil about 

 the seed is drying of the surface soil when unexpectedly heavy rains 

 have come and the water does not percolate rapidly enough to bring 

 the surface layer into good condition for growth. In such an event 

 seed can often be saved from rotting by the light raking or harrow- 

 ing or cutting with a disc, to allow the air to assist drainage in re- 

 lieving the surface layer of its excess. The wisdom of this course 

 is always conditioned upon the character of the soil. A sticky soil 

 might be more harmed than the seed would be helped by it. 



Fourth : Mulching. The use of a light mulch of chaff or cor- 

 ral-scrapings or rotten straw or other fine, loose material is of value 

 in garden practice if it does not occasion too great cost or labor to 

 procure or prepare it. The larger the seed the thicker the layer 

 may safely be, and with the mulch, shallower planting and prob- 

 ably quicker germination, is possible. The mulch lessens evapora- 

 tion from the surface and thus gives the seed a surer supply; it 

 also prevents puddling of the soil surface by pelting rain drops and 

 keeps the particles both moist and loose for the thrust of the shoot. 

 A mulch also makes it much safer to sprinkle the bed if rains delay. 

 In garden practice it can hardly be too highly commended. On 

 heavy soils sawdust or sand can be used for this purpose if they are 

 the most available materials. Discussion of mulching from other 

 points of view is given in Chapter VII. 



Fifth : Irrigation. Starting seeds by irrigation on soil that has 

 good capillarity and lateral percolation (or "seeps well" as the 

 common phrase is) releases one from several of the injunctions just 

 laid down. The covering should be shallow, as the moisture will 

 rise to the surface ; little firming needs to be done, for the water will 



