42 VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



soil more compactly, the press wheel may be used for this 

 purpose, by going over the rows a second time. It is a good 

 plan in doing this, to remove the drill point or else tip the 

 machine up until the point is off the gi'ound. In the case of 

 a few seeds that are rather delicate about germinating, it is a 

 good plan to sow the rows a second time with the seed sower 

 and thus mix the seed up with the soil. This method puts in 

 a large amount of seed, leaves the seed at various depths, and 

 some of it is sure to grow. 



Sowing Seed by Hand. When only a very small quantity of 

 seed is to be sown, it is often best to sow by hand. When 

 this is the plan, the rows are made by the garden marker and 

 the seed distributed in them evenly by hand. The rows are 

 then covered by the soil being drawn into them with a rake 

 and are firmed by passing over the seed with the feet. If the 

 soil is dry, it cannot be made too firm; if moist, care must be 

 used to prevent packing it too hard. In the case of very fine 

 seed, sown in dry weather, many devices are used to bring 

 about germination, such as watering, shading the soil with 

 boards, covering the earth with cloths and the like. 



Using the Feet for Firming the Soil Around Seeds. Many seeds 

 are lost from the failure to properly firm the soil over those sown 

 during dry weather. Many devices have been suggested 

 and used for securing this desirable condition, but for general 

 garden purposes no method or implement ever used can vie 

 with the proper use of the feet for this purpose. While this 

 matter is referred to elsewhere, it is put under this special 

 head to call attention to this useful fact. Peter Henderson 

 was the first to call attention to the importance of this method, 

 and describes it as follows: "After plowing, harrowing and 

 levelling the land smoothly, lines are drawn by the 'markers', 

 which make furrows about two inches deep and a foot apart. 

 After the man who sows the seed follows another who with 

 the ball of the right foot presses down his full weight on every 

 inch of soil where the seed has been sown ; the rows are then 

 slightly levelled longitudinally with the rake, a light roller is 

 passed over them and the operation is done. ' ' Those who 

 have practiced this method, know it gives most excellent re- 

 sults. In my own practice, in sowing seed in dry weather, even 

 with a seed sower, which has a wheel for firming the soil, I 



