DIRECT SOWING : BROADCAST. 157 



Age of Seed. — Fresh seed germinates always quicker than 

 old, the latter sometimes not mitil the second year. 



The time of sprouting dej^ends much on the conditions to 

 which the seed is subject ; a heavy covering retards germina- 

 tion ; warm soil and sufficient moisture produce quicker 

 sprouting than cold soil or drought. 



Seeds are sometimes specially treated with the object of ac- 

 celerating the sprouting. Amongst the various methods which 

 have been recommended the following may be mentioned : 

 soaking in water, ranging from an hour to a week ; treatment 

 with lime water or highly diluted hydrochloric acid ; steaming ; 

 soaking in liquid manure. Apart from the first mentioned, 

 great care is required in applying the various treatments, else 

 the seeds may be injured. In the case of large seeds, like 

 those of teak, collecting them in a heap and keeping them 

 continuously moist may considerably accelerate germination. 

 Seeds which germinate only in the second year may be 

 bedded in sand in a ditch or pit, and sown in the second 

 spring. 



B. Methods of Sowing. 



In the course of time a great variety of methods of sowing 

 have been elaborated. It would be beyond the scope of this 

 book to describe them all in detail ; moreover they can only 

 be fully understood by studying them in the field. Hence, 

 only the more important methods will here be mentioned. 

 Sowings may be divided into : — 



(1.) Broadcast sowing. 



(2.) Partial sowing. 



1. Broadcast Soicin<j. 

 If the seed be distributed evenly over the whole area to be 

 stocked, the method is called broadcast sowing. 



a. Frejjaration of the Soil. 

 In some cases broadcast sowings are made without previous 

 or subsequent cultivation, but they are hable to lead to dis- 



