Sowing Broad-cast. 333 



one-horse plough, immediately after the seed is scattered 

 over the surface. But in many of the heavy soils of England, 

 the seedsman follows the plough, scattering the seed by 

 hand, in the trenches of each furrow, as they are successively 

 formed, (called straining in, or spraining), and on the return 

 of the plough, the seed is covered with earth ( 101 ). As a pre- 

 paration for this plan, the land is commonly fallowed, and 

 cleared of weeds ; it receives, where the process is properly 

 conducted ( Ioi ), five summer ploughings, the three first to the 

 depth of seven inches, and the two last shallower, sufficient 

 to bring into a completely pulverized state, a quantity of 

 mould for covering the seed, as soon as it is deposited. The 

 bottom contains from four to five inches of, comparatively, 

 firmer texture ; but yet cqnsiderably tempered, on which 

 the seed may rest. It is thus inserted at a proper depth, 

 and deposited on a bed, the most congenial that can be de- 

 vised to promote germination, and the most favourable to 

 its first efforts of growth. The substratum gives an admi- 

 rable anchorage for the roots in the soil, and the fine earth 

 by which it is covered, gives the least possible obstruction 

 to its upward shoots. It is likewise protected from being 

 root-shaken by frost, and from all those depredations, which 

 are made upon seed sown on the surface, and afterwards 

 merely harrowed. By this method of preparation, therefore, 

 many advantages are obtained, and a crop so conducted, 

 may reasonably be expected, to be both luxuriant in growth, 

 and abundant in produce ( Io3 ). 



Some eminent agriculturists, are so partial to the system 

 of ploughing in, that they think it ought to be generally 

 practised, in preference to every other mode of sowing grain ; 

 and that owing to its not being adopted, thousands, and tens 

 of thousands of bushels of grain, are annually lost to the 

 country. But it is evident, that on very strong soils, there 

 is some risk of caking, more especially when the crop is 

 sown in autumn, and exposed to the winter rains ; that if 

 unskilfully executed, there is some hazard of throwing too 

 much earth on the seed, so as to prevent vegetation ; and 

 that it requires nearly as much time and labour as drilling, 

 though without its expensive machinery. 



SECT. XII On Drilling, or depositing the Seed in Lines. 



THE system of drilling, or placing the seed of grain and 

 other vegetables, in regular rows, by machines invented for 



