410 Seeds and Seedage 



Most of the recommendations of writers on the quantity 

 of seed for a given length of row are in excess of the num- 

 ber of plants actually required. It may be that some of 

 these recommendations are higher than even the risks will 

 warrant; but it is much safer to sow even the most exces- 

 sive amounts than to sow just as many seeds as are theo- 

 retically needed on a basis of the number of mature plants 

 to the row or the acre. 



Seeds ordinarily germinate best in freshly turned or 

 freshly worked soil. This is because there is more mois- 

 ture in the fresh soil than in that which has been exposed 

 to the weather. We shall find in the succeeding chapter 

 that gardeners expect to secure better success in trans- 

 planting when they can set plants on freshly plowed land. 



The depth at which seeds should be sown depends (1) 

 on the soil, as to whether it is moist or dry, well tilled or 

 poorly tilled; (2) on the species and size of the seed; (3) 

 on the season. The finer and moister the soil, the shal- 

 lower the sowing may be. The larger the seeds, the deeper 

 they may be sown. Seeds may be sown shallower in spring 

 than in summer, for at the latter season the surface soil 

 is dry. An old gardener's rule is to cover the seeds to a 

 depth equal to twice their diameter. This applies well to 

 greenhouse conditions, in which the soil is finely prepared 

 and kept continuously moist but in the open ground, the 

 seeds are usually planted deeper than this. 



Horticultural plants are ordinarily divided into three 

 classes in respect to hardiness: (1) hardy, or those able to 

 withstand the vicissitudes of climate in a given place; (2) 

 half-hardy, or able to withstand light frosts or other un- 

 congenial conditions; (3) tender, or wholly unable to with- 

 stand frost. Seeds of the hardy plants may be sown in 



