RAISING THE PLANTS 39 



lengthwise screwed on to it. The width of the board 

 depends upon the distance between the drills. If for 

 6-inch drills, a 12-inch board will be required, and the 

 strips of wood will be screwed on at 3 inches from either 

 edge. These strips are 1 inch wide and deep enough to 

 make the drills sufficiently deep for each kind of seed. 

 A groove running down the centre of the strip helps to 

 distribute the seed more evenly. 



The length of the board should be 6 inches longer than 

 the width of the bed, so that they may be more easily 

 handled. 



It is more satisfactory to use two boards, so that after 

 the first has been placed across the bed and pressed in, the 

 second one can be placed by its side and pressed in before 

 the first is lifted. The latter is then lifted across and 

 placed at the side of the one in position. This is con- 

 tinued until the bed is finished. The drills can be kept 

 more parallel than if only one board is used. 



To make the contrivance lighter, the strips of wood can 

 be screwed on to the three cross-pieces. 



FIG. 5. DRILL BOARDS IN POSITION ON BEDS SHOWING SHAPE 

 OF DRILL. 



The seed is sown either by hand, from a flat tin box, 

 by the use of sowing-horn, or by means of a sowing-lath. 

 The latter is a piece of wood about 1J inches square with 

 a groove running from end to end, and fitted with a sliding 

 lid. 



Sufficient seed for each drill is placed in the groove, and 



