248 AGRICULTURE 



crops than to those that are broadcast. In 

 the latter case they have, as it were, to 

 search for every individual grain, whereas, 

 when the grains are sowed in definite rows, 

 birds seem to learn the art of running their 

 beaks up the rows, and thus of securing 

 rapidly a large percentage of grain. It 

 may be added, in considering the advantages 

 and disadvantages of the two systems, that 

 drilling crops is the more costly operation, 

 for whereas in broadcasting it is possible to 

 do good work by hand or, with a simple 

 and cheap machine, drilling entails the use 

 of a somewhat expensive machine, and one 

 which requires more horse and manual 

 labour, and covers a much smaller area in 

 the day. 



Before proceeding to sow, one ought also 

 to consider the question of density of stocking. 

 It is not the individual plant that we want 

 to favour but the whole community, and, 

 according to circumstances, this end will 

 be secured by having due regard to the 

 amount of seed that should be employed. 

 Other things being equal, we would sow 

 less seed on good soil than on poor, for the 

 reason that in the former case we may expect 

 each plant to grow more vigorously and to 

 reach a larger size. It is also found that 



