APPENDICES 



and up to the edges so as to avoid the danger of the 

 washing out of seeds. This may be done with a flat 

 piece of wcx)d or brick or "float." The florist's float, 

 with which he compacts the soil in his hot bed, green- 

 house or cold frame, is a piece of board 6 inches wide 

 by 9 or lo long with a handle attached. Another 

 reason for compacting the soil about seeds or roots 

 is to bring close to them the fine particles of food 

 in the soil and the invisible little films of moisture 

 that must cover the food grains and dissolve them 

 before the plant can feed upon them. Consequently, 

 while the soil in the box must be fine and soft for the 

 little plants, it must lie more closely together than 

 if just thrown into the box, and so it must be "firmed" 

 or pressed close to the edges and into corners, and the 

 box filled as full as it will hold. If then the whole 

 surface is gently pressed, there will still be room for 

 the planting of all seed. Tiny seeds must be sown 

 broadcast. Small seeds are better in rows where any 

 irregularity in their coming up will show the relative 

 value or quality of the seed. With a pointed stick 

 scratch the lines for the seed rows or make a furrow 

 say from i inch deep for seeds the size of a grain of 

 wheat to two inches for those as large as the bean. 

 While individual characteristics of seeds modify the 

 depth to plant, there is a general rule that seeds under 

 artificial conditions of planting should be put in the 

 ground to a depth equal to their greatest diameter, 

 and that, when planted in the open, the depth should 

 be four times their diameter. Moderate size seeds 

 should lie one-half inch apart. In all cases after 

 sowing, the seeds should be covered with a layer of 

 fine soil, and firmed. Those in flats should then be 



297 



