■sowing 409 



the seeds germinate, thereby saving the moisture in that 

 area. 



Seeds that germinate very slowly, as parsnips and celery, 

 should be sown thick in order that the combined forces of 

 the germinating plantlets may break the crust on the soil. 

 This caution is always necessary on soils that tend to bake, 

 whatever the kind of seed. It may be well to sow a few 

 strong and quick-germinating seeds with those of slow- 

 germinating species to break the soil, and also to mark the 

 row so that tillage may be begun before the main-crop 

 seeds are up and before the weeds have taken possession of 

 the land. Seeds of radish, cabbage or turnip may be sown 

 in the row with celery, parsnips, carrots and the like. In 

 some cases, a crop of radish may be obtained in this way 

 before the main crop occupies the land, but this is only an 

 accidental gain and there is danger that the major crop 

 may be injured. 



The cost of seed is ordinarily a small matter in com- ■ 

 parison with the expense of the season's labor and the 

 value of the crop. Therefore, seeds should be sown freely 

 to avoid the risk of failure. Even if five or ten times more 

 seeds are sown than plants are required, the extra expen- 

 diture may be justified. Another great value of thick seed- 

 ing is that it allows of more extensive thinning of the 

 plants; and thinning is a process of selection, and the best 

 are allowed to remain. It is evident that the chances of 

 securing the best are greater when the gardener leaves one 

 plant out of ten rather than one plant out of three. The 

 selection in the seed-bed or the seed-row is undoubtedly one 

 of the means by which cultivated plants have been so 

 greatly ameliorated or improved. 



