SEEDS AltD SEED SOWING. 43 



soil be pressed iu close contact with them, by laying a 

 board over the drill, if the seeds are small, and walking on 

 it, or if they are large, patting the soil down with the back 

 of the spade, or pressing it down over them with the foot. 

 This has also the effect of excluding the light, which pre- 

 vents or retards their free germination. 



The depth at which they are sown has also much to do 

 in making them germinate. This is greatly controlled, by 

 the character of the soil."" In stiff, clayey soils they must 

 not be sown nearly as deep as they may be in a light, friable 

 loam, or in a sandy soil. 



The depth at which seeds should be sown is a matter 

 for which there is no fixed rale. The old rule was, to cover 

 them their own thickness with soil; but that is not sufficient 

 for many seeds; cabbage seed or lettuce seed, for instance, 

 should be sown three-eighths or half an inch deep, and 

 peas from one to two inches. Experience and observation 

 will soon instruct any one in this matter. 



In sowing seeds in a hot-bed, great care must be had to 

 see that the heat of the bed is at the proper temperature. 

 If the soil of the bed is too hot, the seeds will burn up. 

 This is a common error on the part of ignorant or injudi- 

 cious gardeners, who never fail in such cases to accuse the 

 seedsman of selling them old seed, whilst the blame for the 

 failure rests wholly with themselves. 



A certain amount of seed is necessary to produce a maxi- 

 mum crop j in order, therefore, to convey an approximate 

 idea of the quantity sufficient to yield this result, and at 

 the same time to prevent a needless waste of seed, the fol- 

 lowing Table is given, showing about the length of drill or 

 the number of hills over which a given quantity of seed 

 should be distributed, or the number of plants that the 

 seed should be reasonably expected to produce, 



