SOWING THE SEED. 29 



dry it is well to lay boards, or some other covering, 

 over the seed-bed until the plants begin to come up. 

 This will insure speedy and uniform germination. 

 If this is done the seed may be sown very shallow; 

 otherwise it should be sown at least half an inch 

 deep (or even deeper if the soil is light) and the 

 soil pressed firm after sowing. 



Transplanting the young plants in the seed-bed 

 will render them stocky and vigorous, and should 

 always be practiced with the early crop, but if the 

 seed is sown sufficiently thin it is unnecessary with 

 out- door plants intended for the late crop. Some 

 growers, including Mr. Gregory of Massachusetts, 

 practice sowing the seed in hills in the open ground 

 where the plants are to remain. Several seeds are 

 placed in a hill to insure against loss. This method, 

 however, will seldom be found desirable. 



To the above may be added the following excel- 

 lent directions given by Mr. Francis Brill, Jof JEliver- 

 head, Long Island, in his pamphlet on the cauli- 

 flower: "Occasionally, by reason of drouth, and 

 frequently by reason of the ravages of insects, great 

 difficulty has been exeprienced in growing plants 

 in spring and early summer, which seldom occurs 

 in the fall at which time, however, the same pre- 

 cautions may be used. Time was when we could 

 circumvent the flea and louse on young plants by 

 the use of lime, tobacco, ashes, soot, etc., but of late 



