RECEIPT BOOK. 205 



frost; nor to protract the sowing to so late a sea- 

 son, as that the quality of the produce may be af- 

 fected. The best season, on the drier sorts of 

 land, in the southern districts, is, as soon as possi- 

 ble after the frosts are over in April, and, on the 

 same discriptions of soil, in the more northern 

 ones, towards the close of the same mouth, or 

 early in the ensuing one. 



Method of sotoing. 



The most general method of putting crops of 

 this sort into the soil is the broadcast, the seed be- 

 ing dispersed over the surface of the land in as 

 even a manner as possible, and atlerwards cover- 

 ed in by means of a very light harrowing. In ma- 

 ny rases, however, especially where the crops 

 are lo stand for seed, the drill method in rows, at 

 small distances, might be had recourse to with 

 advantage; as, in this way the early gro^vth of the 

 plants would be more effectually promoted, and 

 the land be kept in a more clean and perfect state 

 of mould, which are circumstances of importance 

 in such crops. In whatever mothod the seed is 

 put in, care must constantly be taken to keep the 

 birds from it for some time afterwards. 



This sort of crop is frequently cultivated on 

 the same pieces of ground for a great number of 

 years, without any other kind of intervening; but- 

 iii such cases, manure must be applied with almost 

 every crop, in pretty large proportions, to prevent 

 the exhaustion that must otherwise take place. — 

 It may be sown after most sorts of grain crops, 

 especially where the land possesses sufficient fer- 

 tility, and i« in a proper state of tillage. 



18 



