DEPTH OF SOWING 221 
not be strong and deep, but will have to depend for 
its development upon the surface water, which is 
always a dangerous practice in dry-farming. The 
rule as to the depth of seeding is simply: Plant as 
deeply as is safe. The depth to which seeds may be 
safely placed depends upon the nature of the soil, its 
fertility, its physical condition, and the water that 
it contains. In sandy soils, planting may be deeper 
than in clay soils, for it requires less energy for a 
plant to push roots, stems, and leaves through the 
loose sandy soil than through the more compact clay 
soil; in a dry soil planting may be deeper than in 
wet soils; likewise, deep planting is safer in a loose 
soil than in one firmly compacted; finally, where the 
moist soil is considerable distance below the surface, 
deeper planting may be practiced than when the 
moist soil is near the surface. Countless experiments 
have been conducted on the subject of depth of seed- 
ing. In a few cases, ordinary agricultural seeds 
planted eight inches deep have come up and pro- 
duced satisfactory plants. However, the consensus 
of opinion is that from one to three inches are best in 
humid districts, but that, everything considered, four 
inches is the best depth under dry-farm conditions. 
Under a low natural precipitation, where the methods 
of dry-farming are practiced, it is always safe to 
plant deeply, for such a practice will develop and 
strengthen the root system, which is one big step 
toward successful dry-farming. 
