How Seedlings Get Established 21 



be made to keep the surface from drying out until the 

 young plantlets have sent their roots into the soil. 



33. In Planting Field Seeds, it is often desirable to 

 put them sufficiently deep to allow for some drying out 

 of the surface soil. If planted very near the surface, hot 

 winds will often dry the soil before the seeds absorb 

 enough water to germinate. To produce quick germina- 

 tion, it is sometimes desirable to compact the surface by 

 rolling. This puts the surface particles in closer con- 

 tact with the seeds, and the moisture is absorbed more 

 rapidly. In dry times, the seeds often germinate more 

 quickly in the tracks made by persons walking across 

 the field. Gardeners often pack the surface with a 

 spade or board or roller, after sowing the seeds. When 

 moisture is scarce in the soil, as is quite often the case 

 at the planting time of field seeds, a most practical 

 and successful way to secure the germination of seeds 

 in drills is to make the laying-off plow or tool cut a 

 deep V-shaped furrow in the compact soil, into which 

 the seeds are dropped and covered to the proper depth 

 with fine soil. This V-- 

 shaped furrow affords 



two banks of undis- 

 turbed soil holding 

 a supply' of moisture 

 for the seed. (Fig. p . g ig planting ^ . n ^ .. water fur _ 



18.) row" insures a more even supply of 



34. Prompt Germi- moisture. 



nation Important. Seeds that germinate quickly give 

 more vigorous plants. Besides, seeds in the ground 

 may be destroyed by insects, or caused to rot by fungi 

 and bacteria, or rains may come and make a hard crust 

 on the surface through which they cannot grow. Vig- 



