CHAPTER VI 



SEEDS AND SEED-SOWING 



CoNSiDEEABLE difficulty is experienced in the matter of 

 seed-sowing, especially if the crop is to be sown in the 

 field. Some small seeds, as turnips, are very difficult to 

 sow evenly by hand ; but, fortunately, this has been over- 

 come in a measure by the invention of a machine to do 

 this work. Even with a machine, there is room for 

 exercise of judgment; seeds of the same variety are not 

 all the same size, and the average size varies to a con- 

 siderable extent. 



How to test a machine. 



Before sowing with a machine, it is necessary to know 

 just how it will sow. The marks put on by the manufac- 

 tiu'er are only approximately correct, on account of the 

 variation in the size of the seed. The machine can be 

 regauged for the particular seed in hand by running it 

 over a piece of canvas that has been spread down for the 

 occasion. The length of the row on the canvas can be 

 measured and the amount of seed also; this reduces the 

 matter to simple computation, and the seed can readily 

 be taken up and returned to the bag unharmed. Seeds 

 obtained from different sources will be found to vary 

 considerably in size ; these seeds of different sizes should 

 be planted separately, and it may be necessary to regauge 



