104 FALLOWING. 



SOWING. 



There are three methods oFcommitting seeds to the 

 ground, viz. hi hills ; — i?i drills ; — or continued rows ; 

 and in the broadcast method,, or a cast of the hand. 



The first thing* relating to sowings is the preparation 

 of the ground. It may be more or less fine,, according 

 to the -sort of seed to be sown. Small seed require finer 

 earth, than those which are larger. But, still, the 

 finer the better for every thing ; for it is best if the seed 

 be actually pressed fe^- the earth in every part ; and ma- 

 ny seeds are benefitted by the use of the roller. The 

 ground should be good, either in itself, or made good by 

 manure of some sort. In all cases, the ground should 

 be fresh ; that is to say, it should be ploughed, &:c. just 

 before the act of sowing, in order that the seeds may 

 have the full benefit of the fermentation, that takes 

 place upon every moving of the earth. 



Sowing too early in the spring may be as injurious as 

 sowing too late ; for, if the ground be not w^ell pulver- 

 ized, and sufficiently warmed, before sowing, the seeds 

 will come up slowly, and be stunted in their growth. A 

 due temperature of the season, with respect to heat or 

 cold, drought or wet, for all these greatly influence the 

 state of the earth, is essentially necessarj'^, and should be 

 carefully attended to by the husbandman, when he sows ; 

 but the precise time most proper for this work, cannot, 

 by any means, be invariably fixed, because it will al- 

 ways depend on the concurrence of a variety of circum- 

 stances. The seasons are more or less forv/ard, and the 

 ground is more or less dry, in some years, than in oth- 

 ers. A proper series of well made observations, would 

 furnish the best rules in this respect, but certainly would 

 not fix the time of sowing to any particular day, or 

 week, for years to come. Z/mncews' 5 method, of observ- 

 ing the foliation of trees, &c: would determine the pro- 

 per times for spring sowing. Why, says Pliny,, does the 

 husbandman look up to the stars, of which he is ignor- 

 ant, whilst ever}' hedge and tree point out the season 

 by the fail of their leaves ? This circumstance will in- 

 dicate the temperature of the air in every climate, and 

 show whether the season be early or late. This consti- 

 tutes an universal rule for the whole world ; because 

 /rees shed their leaves in every country, according to 



