SEED 245 



it does produce plants these may have a 

 difficulty in reaching the surface of the 

 ground, owing to the mechanical resistance 

 of the soil, or because the reserves of plant 

 food stored up in the seed are insufficient 

 to maintain the plant until it has reached 

 the surface, and unfolded its leaves to the 

 influence of air and sun, and has begun to 

 assimilate fresh supplies of food. The actual 

 depth at which seed should be deposited 

 varies with soil, and with the character of 

 the seed itself. Light soil, being better 

 .aerated and less resistant to the upward 

 progress of the young seedling, can be placed 

 over seed to a greater depth than clay soil. 

 As regards the relationship of seed to soil 

 covering, it may be said that, in general, 

 the smaller the seed the shallower should be 

 the covering, and the larger the seed the 

 greater the amount of soil that may be 

 spread over it. Beans, for instance, will 

 easily reach the surface of the ground through 

 three or four inches of soil, wheat may be 

 buried to a depth of two inches, turnip seed 

 is best covered with about one inch of soil, 

 whereas many of the smaller grass and clover 

 seeds can scarcely produce plants if they are 

 buried under more than about half an inch 

 of soil. 



