58 Of Hoeing. Chap. VI. 



I. 'Tis neccflary to know how deep we may plant 

 our Seed, without Danger of burying it; for fo 'tis 

 faid to be, when laid at a Depth below what 'tis abla 

 to come up at. 



Different Sorts of Seeds come up at differentDepths % 

 fome at fix Inches, or more ; fome at not more than 

 half an Inch : The Way to know for certain the 

 Depth any Sort will come up at is, to make Gauges 

 in this Manner : Saw off 1 2 Sticks of about 3 Inches 

 Diameter : Bore a Hole in the End of each Stick, and 

 drive into it a taper Peg •, let the firft Peg be half an 

 Inch long, the next an Inch, and fo on •, every Peg 

 to be half an Inch longer than the former, till the 

 kft Peg be fix Inches long ; then in that fort of Ground 

 where you intend to plant, make a Row of Twenty 

 Holes with the half-Inch Gauge; put therein Twenty 

 good Seeds ; cover them up, and flick the Gauge at 

 the End of that Row ; then do the like with all the 

 other Eleven Gauges: This will determine the Depth, 

 at which the mod Seeds will come up (a). 



When the Depth is known, wherein the Seed is. 

 fure to come up, we may eafily difcover, whether the 

 Seed be good or not, by obferving how many will 

 fail : For in fome Sorts of Seeds the Goodnefs can- 

 not be known by the Eye ; and there has been often 

 great Lofs by bad Seed, as well as by burying good 

 Seed ; both which Misfortunes might be prevented 

 by this little Trouble ; befides 'tis not convenient to 

 plant fome forts of Seed at the utmoft Depth they 



fa) In the common way of Sowing tis bard to know the pro- 

 per Depth, becaufe fome Seeds lying deep, and others {hallow, 

 it is not eafy to difcover the Depth of thofe that are buried: But I 

 have found in drilling of black Oats, that when the Drill-Plough 

 was fet a hrtle deeper for Trial, very few came up : Therefore 

 'tis proper for the Driller to ufe the Gauges for all Sorts of Seeds ; 

 for, if he drills them too deep, he may lofe his Crop ; or, if too 

 Shallow, in dry Weather, he may injure it, efpecially in Summer 

 Seeds ; but for thofe planted againft Winter, there is the moll 

 Daisage by planting too deep* 



will 



