2G4 DIRECT SOWING. 



can go, it will in many cases be advisable to protect ourselves 

 against contingencies and sow both ridge and trench. 



But more often it will be seeds of different species that must 

 be sown in the two places, by which means the chances of success 

 will be in the highest degree assured. The more delicate species 

 will be sown at the bottom of the trench and on the side above the 

 trench, the hardiest being kept on the top of the ridge. 



A special variety of the system would be to combine a forest 

 and an agricultural crop, the latter being sown along the top of the 

 ridges in order to protect the former. By this means the cost of 

 preparing the ground may be wholly or partially recouped, and 

 delicate forest species may be propagated. The agricultural crop 

 chosen should be a hardy one for the locality and not be invasive. 

 For North-Western India the Cajanus indicus would be very suit- 

 able ; where frosts do not occur, the castor oil plant ; and so on. 



Wherever, outside swampy localities, the simple ridge system 

 succeeds, sowing the combined ridge and trench will generally give 

 still better results, especially on dry hill-sides, and the extra cost it 

 will involve will only be the price of a small quantity of seed and 

 of the labour for sowing it. 



2. Combined strip and trench sowing. 



The trench serves the same purpose here as in the immediately 

 preceding system, while the strip is better suited than the ridge 

 for dry level localities and for species that cannot stand drought. 

 The excavated soil from the trench should be used in filling up 

 adjoining depressions and in throwing across the line of drainage 

 so as to enable the trenches to fill even with a moderate shower. 

 As in the preceding system, an agricultural crop may be sown 

 here also on the strips, and then each strip will generally occupy 

 the entire interval between trench and trench. 



3. Combined strip , ridge and trench sowing. 



We may have three modes of combination, of which, however, 

 only two are practical. 



(\) The trench running betiveen the strip and ridge, the last be- 

 ing of course on the side the ground falls. This is the best of the 

 three combinations for ground that is not much inclined, as the 

 water held by the trench will benefit ridge and strip equally and 

 seedlings of delicate species in the trench will be well protected 

 both against weeds and injurious weather influences. On a decided 

 slope the loosened soil of the strip would get washed away into the 

 trench. 



