41<J Seeds and Seedage 



standing two to three feet above the ground. Such a screen 

 gives a partial shade and also allows of a free circulation 

 of air ; and the screens may be removed and the bed weeded 

 at any time. A covering of brush is sometimes used, but 

 it is less handy than the lath screen; if it is laid directly 

 on ground, the bed cannot be weeded and it is likely to 

 become foul. Sometimes boards, matting or other dense 

 covers are laid directly on the bed. This may do very 

 well for a few days, until the seeds begin to break the 

 ground, but thereafter the covering should be removed, else 

 the young seedlings will be injured. The seedlings should 

 be given sufficient head-room and light" and air to enable 

 them to develop to their normal condition. If the seed-bed 

 is kept too wet and the seedlings are too soft, the damping- 

 off fungi are likely to work havoc. Sometimes the seed- 

 bed is made underneath a tree, but this is rarely advisable, 

 since the earth usually requires too much watering and 

 the shade may be too dense. 



If it is desired to secure a quick germination of seeds 

 in a summer seed-bed, it is well to prepare the bed the 

 fall before, or at least very early in the spring, and to keep 

 it covered with several inches or a foot of well-rotted man- 

 ure until needed. When the bed is needed, the manure is 

 removed; the soil is then full of moisture and the seeds 

 germinate quickly. The fertility leached from the manure 

 also enables the plantlets to secure an early foothold. This 

 method is practiced in some of the market-gardening cen- 

 ters, particularly those in which late cabbages and cauli- 

 flower are grown. 



When sowing in the open field, the use of a seed-drill 

 should be encouraged, not only because it saves time and 

 labor, but also because it enforces good preparation of the 



