AMERICAN GARDENER. &T 



the danger of unrifie seed. In cases where win- 

 ter overtakes you before your seed be quite ripe, 

 the best way is to pull up the plants and hang 

 them by the heels in a dry airy place, till all 

 green depart from the stalks, and until they be 

 quite dry, and wholly rid of juice. Even in hot 

 weather, when the seed would drop out, if the 

 plants were left standing, pull, or cut, the plants, 

 and lay them on a cloth in the sun, till the seed 

 be all ready to fall out ; for, if forced from the 

 fod, the seed is never so good. Seeds will grow 

 if gathered when they are green as grass, and 

 afterwards dried in the sun ; but they do not pro- 

 gathered green, against fifty, gathered ripe. Not 

 only were the plants of the former feeble, when 

 compared with the latter ; not only was the pro- 

 duce plants like those coming from rifie seed. 

 I tried, some years ago, fifty grains of wheat, 

 duce of the former two-thirds less than that of 

 the latter; but even the quality of the grain was 

 not half so good. Many of the ears had smut, 

 which was not the case with those that came from 

 the ripened seed, though the land and the cul- 

 tivation were, in both cases, the same. 



SOWING. 



155. The first thing, relating to sowing, is, the 

 preparation of the ground. It may be more or 

 less fine according to the sort of seed to be sown. 

 Peas and beans do not, of course, require the 

 earth so fine as small seeds do. But, still, the 

 finer the better for every thing ; for, it is best if 

 the seed be actually pressed by the earth in every 

 part ; and many seeds, if not all, are best situated 

 when the earth is trodden down upon thenu 



