SEEDS AND SEEDING 89 



and most of them germinate on or very near the surface. 

 The percentage of mortality of such seeds is, however, 

 very high, much greater than it is necessary to provide 

 against in agriculture. 



The principal objects desired are to plant the seed 

 deeply enough to germinate under average climatic con- 

 ditions at the place, and not too deeply, to prevent the 

 seedlings from reaching the surface. 



In general, small seeds must be planted shallow and 

 large seeds may be planted deep. Some large seeds, like 

 peas, may be planted as deep as 8 inches, but this is due 

 to the fact that the young shoot does not carry the cotyle- 

 dons with it. In the case of equally large bean seeds, 

 where the cotyledons are raised out of the ground, such 

 deep planting would be fatal. 



In sandy soils planting may be twice as deep as in 

 clay soils, both to secure the necessary moisture, and 

 because such soils offer less resistance to the developing 

 seedling. 



80. Experimental results. The best method of sowing 

 any hay crop in any particular place can be determined 

 only by direct trials. This involves experiments in rate 

 of seeding, depth of planting, time of sowing, use of nurse 

 crop, etc. The best method depends quite as much on 

 the adaptations of the plant itself as upon local con- 

 ditions. Thus, some grasses and legumes do not well 

 endure shade, consequently the seeding of these with a 

 nurse crop is inadvisable. 



The following experiments conducted at the Ontario 

 Agricultural College illustrate how greatly different 

 methods of seeding may affect the yield of the same and 

 of different species of grasses and clovers. 



Two distinct experiments were performed, one from the 



