SEED-SOWING. 



SEED SOWIBTG. 



Considerable difficulty is experienced in the matter 

 of seed sowing^ especially if the crop is to be sown in 

 the field. Some small seed, as turnips, are very diffi- 

 cult to sow evenly by hand ; but, fortunately, this has 

 been overcome in a measure by the invention of a 

 machine to do this work. Even with a machine there is 

 plenty of room for exercise of judgment ; seeds of the 

 same variety are not all of the same size, and the 

 average size varies to a considerable extent. 



HOW TO TEST A MACHINE. 



Before sowing with a machine, it is necessary to 

 know just how it will sow. The marks put on by the 

 manufacturer are only approximately correct, on ac- 

 count of the variation in the size of seed. The ma- 

 chine can be reguaged for the particular seed in hand 

 by running it over a piece of canvas that has been 

 spread down for the occasion. The length of the row 

 on the canvas can be measured and the amount of seed 

 also ; this reduces it to a simple computation and the 

 seed can be taken up easily and returned to the bag 

 unharmed. Seed obtained from different sources will 

 be found to vary considerably in size ; these seeds of 

 different sizes should be planted separately, and it may 

 be necessary to reguage the machine. It has been 

 found by experiment that there is a wide difference in 

 the value of the different sizes of seed. If radish 

 seed be taken from a single plant and graded into 

 sizes, the largest will germinate and produce a mar- 

 ketable vegetable first, and nearly all the seed pro- 

 duce good radishes ; the second size seed will mature 

 radishes next, and so on until the smallest grade is 



