SEEDS 



51 



comes in four-foot lengths. The length of the bed was determined 

 by the fact that part of the labor, which is the plowing of the soil, 

 is accomplished by horse power, which necessitates longer beds 

 than would be necessary if only man labor was used. 



MAKING THE SEED BEDS 



Three such beds are made end to end. If a bed of shorter 

 dimensions were used it would mean lost motion and wasted area. 



One straight, deep furrow is 

 plowed across the entire 528 

 feet covered by three beds. 

 The labor required is two 

 teams for the plowing and 15 

 men for raking, five for each 

 bed. As soon as the furrow 

 is plowed, the men rake the 

 ground smooth and level. 

 This raking takes place as 

 fast as each single furrow is 

 plowed. It is much more 

 satisfactory to rake each in- 

 dividual furrow, as it is 

 plowed, than to wait until the 

 whole four-foot area has been 

 plowed over and then attempt to rake it down smooth and level. 

 After the beds have been raked and re-raked until each small lump 

 of earth has been broken and leveled, the surface should be as 

 level as a table top and free from unbroken lumps of soil. 



Fig. 8. Convenient shading for young 

 seedlings, especially shrub and evergreens. 

 Note that frame is hinged so that it can 

 be turned back when watering or caring 

 for the plants 



SOWING THE SEED 



After ascertaining the germination percentage of the seed to be 

 sown it is necessary to decide how thick to sow it, reckoning on the 

 basis of so many seeds to the square foot, depending on the variety 

 and the length of time the seedlings are to be left in the seed beds. 

 For instance, take some of the Piceas. With a maturity period of 

 three years and assuming that they will reach an average height by 

 that time of six inches to eight inches, one square foot of ground will 

 accommodate about one hundred plants, and seed should be planted 

 accordingly, or the seedlings thinned to that number while small. 



The seed is sown by two men, one on each side of the bed, each 

 sower covering one-half of the area. After the seed has been sown 

 it is firmly rolled with a wooden roller to insure every seed coming 



