20 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



of the hand. Because of the lightness of the seeds it 

 is not easy to secure evenness of cast in the same. The 

 difficulty in this respect may arise from the improper 

 character of the swing of the hand or from the in- 

 fluence of the wind on the seed while falling or from 

 both causes. Because of the influence of wind a calm 

 time should he preferred for the sowing of grass seeds 

 by hand and the lighter the seeds the calmer should be 

 the time chosen. But it is possible to sow some of the 

 heavier of the grass seeds by hand, while more or less 

 wind is blowing, if the sower takes advantage of the 

 direction of the wind to assist in carrying the seed. 



More commonly the hand sower uses but one hand 

 when sowing grass seeds. When one cast has been sown 

 across a field he turns around, and on the return trip 

 makes the seed overlap more or less the cast sown on the 

 forward trip. Those who can sow with both hands make 

 the two casts at one trip, and consequently sow twice 

 the area in a given time. When both hands are used 

 in sowing, the seed is carried in a sheet, *or pack, or 

 box, in front of the sower and suspended from the shoul- 

 ders. Such a sowing sheet or sack is easily improvised. 



W T hen the ground has been ploughed in ridges of more 

 or less width, hand sowing is facilitated, as the sower 

 has the furrows to guide him in walking straight. When 

 these are but twelve feet distant, one ridge can be sown 

 during each forward or return trip by the person who 

 sows with both hands. In other words double hand 

 sowing will cover a strip of about twelve feet at one 

 time. Where no ridges are made the sower will prob- 

 ably find it necessary to set up stakes to guide him as 



