SEED SOWING SUGGESTIONS 19 



one. It is best to excavate it to a depth of 12-18 inches, place 

 warm manure mixed with leaves in this, watering it if at all dry, and 

 then thoroughly tramping it; over this place 4 inches of soil consist- 

 ing preferably of loam and very old, well-rotted and pulverized 

 manure, use some leaf mold if soil is at all heavy, screen at least the 

 upper half of the soil, draw shallow drills and in them sow seeds, 

 very lightly cover, of early cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, tomato, 

 egg plant, celery, and pepper. It is well to remember that seeds 

 sown in cold frames, or in flats or pans in a greenhouse, need much 

 lighter covering than the same varieties of seeds sown outdoors. 



Do not sow vegetables or flower seeds broadcast in the frames, nor 

 outdoors; if in drills it is possible to cultivate between them, also 

 weed and thin them ; for seeds of slow germination broadcasting 

 is permissible but it is a slovenly system for outdoor crops which 

 make quick growth and will yield at best but half a crop. It is a 

 system which can safely be commended to the lazy man who would 

 be satisfied with a fraction of a crop. 



If birds or rodents trouble peas, beans, squash, sweet corn, and 

 other crops, roll the seeds in a mixture of coal tar and lime before 

 sowing, one taste usually suffices for either feathered or furry foes. 

 The coating of tar and lime will not affect the germinating qualities 

 of the seeds treated. Mice are sometimes very troublesome where 

 lettuce, tomato, endive, and other small vegetable seeds are started 

 under glass; traps and cats are useful, but a little white arsenic 

 mixed in toasted cornflakes which have been slightly moistened 

 acts even more effectively. 



Success with onions is more certain if the same ground is used for 

 them each year, and if it is thoroughly firmed before drills are drawn 

 at all. In choosing a seed bed for cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels 

 sprouts, and savoys be sure to select one which is free from club 

 root, or better not sow at all ; this disease annually destroys many 

 of the Brassicas and its presence shows an over acid condition of the 

 soil, which a liberal dressing of lime in the fall will help to remedy. 

 Always sow seeds of this class of vegetables thinly in the drills; if 

 not you must thin while small or plants will be pure weaklings. 

 Remember that leafy crops such as spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, 

 endive, and rhubarb should have a soil rich in nitrogen, the best 

 form of which is good barnyard manure and that fruiting varieties 



