TRENCH OE FUEKOW SOWING. 259 



over the strips will ensure the soil being properly pressed round 

 and over the seeds. 



8. Value and employment of the method. 



As in this method only a part (from about one-third to one-sixth 

 and often even less) of the total area is cultivated and sown and a 

 more uniform distribution of the plants is assured, it possesses the 

 following advantages over the complete method : 



(i) It requires less labour and outlay, on which account 



(ii) We can afford to give more care and attention to the pre- 

 paration of the limited area sown and to the selection and sowing 

 of the seed. 



(in) Owing to the regularity of arrangement, surpervision, 

 from the time the tillage operations have been begun right up to 

 the complete establishment of the sowings, is rendered extremely 

 easy and hence also much more effective. 



(iv) The spontaneous vegetation preserved between the strips 

 affords considerable shelter to the seedlings on these latter, in many 

 cases all the shelter that they ever require. 



The strip method may be employed wherever direct sowing is 

 justified, the following cases excepted : 



(a) Where the land is swampy, in which case it would only 

 aggravate the tendency to damping off of the roots of the seedlings, 

 as the strips would only collect water ; 



(b) Where the ground is very stony or full of large roots and 

 stools, in which case not only would the regularity of the strips be 

 interfered with, but their preparation would be very costly or even 

 impracticable ; and 



(<?) In a very dry soil when shade-avoiding species requiring 

 a certain amount of moisture are used, in which case the strips 

 would expose the soil too much. 



ARTICLE 6. 



TRENCH OR FURROW SOWING. 



This method differs from the strip method in only two essential 

 particulars, viz., (1) that the seeds are sown appreciably below the 

 general level of the ground, and (2) that the trenches and furrows 

 necessarily serve as receptacles, however temporary it may be, for 

 rain and snow water. 



The first difference can exercise no qualifying effect on the 

 application here of whatever has been said under the strip system 

 regarding the length and direction of the cultivated lines. But 



