188 JERMINENT NUBSEBIES. 



sown more f rofusely. When it is once known how mnch seed 

 ought to be sown, the entire quantity to be used should be divided 

 into small equal lots coiTesponding to small equal divisions of the 

 beds. In no other way can the seeds be uniformly distributed. 



The depth of sowing will depend on the size of the seed, the 

 time it takes to sprout and its exacting nature as regards the con- 

 ditions necessary for its successful germination. 



Seeds may be sown with the hand or with special implements. 

 Large seeds are most easily put into the furrows with the hand. 

 Small seeds also may be sown with the hand, but there is risk of 

 sowing too thickly or of distributing unequally. To minimise this 

 risk, very small seeds should be previously mixed with finely sifted 

 vegetable mould or farmyard or any other suitable manure. But 

 for small seeds it is best to use the sovdng horn or sowing bottle. 

 The sowing horn (Fig. 32) is made of tin and resembles in shape 

 cans used for oiling machinery, except that the extremity of 

 the spout is slit through for some distance, and the gape of the slit 

 is regulated by means of a sliding ring, it being larger the higher 

 up the ring is fixed. The end of the spout may also be removeable 

 and thus allow of the opening being varied without resort to the 

 device just described. The sowing bottle (Fig. 33) is a much 

 simpler contrivance and consists of an ordinary wine or spirit 

 bottle covered with a cap of stifi^ leather open at the extremity. 

 The size of the opening may be made adjustible, but it is better to 

 use different caps for dififerent openings. It is always an advan- 

 tage to use bottles of clear glass, as the quantity of seed in them at 

 any time can be noted at a glance. It is obvious that in both the 

 horn and bottle the opening of the spout or cap must be adapted 

 to the size of the seed and the proposed thickness of sowing. The 

 capacity of the horn or bottle should bear a definite proportion 

 to the extent of the bed or number of furrows to be sown. A 

 further improvement would be to graduate the bottle by means of 

 thin lines scratched in it. 



It is always advisable, before sowing, to strew the bottom of the 

 furrows more or less thickly with manure, such as vegetable mould, 

 farmyard manure, surkhi-ash, or any mixture of these three, in 

 order to secure a perlect bed for the seed. To the same end the 

 seeds should be covered with the same manure. When the cover- 

 ing of manure has been given, the surface of the beds should be 

 lightly raked over and levelled, and the sowing is then complete. 



Value of sowing in lines. — The advantages of sowing the 

 seeds in lines are : — 



