THE SKED-BEDS. . 180 



fi) The amount of growing room required by the seedlings is 

 easily and exactly regulated. Ths roots have free room to 

 develop on each side between the lines, and, however crowded the 

 seedlings may be in each line, they receive light not only from 

 above but also from at least one side. A given area can thus be 

 fully utilised in the happiest manner possible. 



(ii) The seedlings give each other mutual support and shelter 

 against frost, sun-stroke, &c. 



(iii) The weeding of the beds becomes very easy (see. p. 193). 



(iv) The hoeing of the beds is also singularly facilitated (see 

 p. 194.) 



(v) The removal of the seedlings never presents any difficulty 

 (see pp. 200-1.) 



(vi) If the seedlings are not to be transplanted for some time, 

 the beds can be thoroughly and evenly manured with ease (see 

 p. 194.) 



(vii) If, owing to the seeds not being uniformly good, they fail 

 at any points, failures are easily detected and the gaps can be filled 

 up at once without any trouble. 



(viii) It is the only method which renders possible the amputa- 

 tion of the tap-root in situ (see page 194.) 



In addition to the above advantages, sowing in furrows offers 

 the signal one of securing, with very little special care, an even 

 distribution and the right depth of sowing for the seeds, however 

 large these may be. 



The only disadvantage of sowing in lines as compared with free 

 scattering is that, when the seeds are small, it takes more time ; 

 but except when the seeds are to be sown as thickly as possible, 

 the countervailing advantages offer far more than a mere compen- 

 sation. 



5. Watering the seed-beds. 



As soon as the sowing is over, the beds should be watered, even 

 if the soil is already moist, as this is the quickest and most effective 

 way of producing a perfect contact between the soil and the seeds. 

 The flooding system of irrigation should be avoided, for the 

 breaking up of the inevitable superficial crust of fine mud and the 

 simple rush of the water itself would necessarily disarrange the 

 entire seed-bed and uncover many of the seeds, especially if small 

 ones have been sown. Besides this, the flooding water, as it sank 

 into the lower depths of the soil, would carry away with it, out of 

 reach of the future plants, all the soluble and finer portions of the 



