SOWING. 



as a guide to low with the greater regularity ; proceeding 

 with the fowiiig along each fpace with a regular ftep and 

 calt, giving the hand a proper fweeping cant forward, fully 

 expanded at the delivery of the feeds, making them fpread 

 abroad evenly in every part ; and thus proceeding up one 

 fpace, and down another, till finiftied ; which method is 

 piaaifed in large kitchen-grounds, in fowing any confider- 

 able fpace in one continued plat. But the latter is pradifed 

 occafionally, both in fowing large continued plats of ground, 

 and narrow beds, &c. ; but more generally the latter, efpe- 

 cially when intended fowing them bed and bed feparately ; 

 or on narrow borders, :ind other fmall plats of ground, com- 

 monly fowing or delivering the feeds with a locked or clofc 

 hand, difchaiging them from between the fore-finger and 

 thumb ; opening or pinching the thumb more or lefs, ac- 

 cording to the fize and nature of the feeds, and thickncfs 

 they require to be fowii ; giving the hand a fort of jerking 

 turn, or cant forward, at the delivery, to caufe the feeds 

 to fpread regularly, and in an exacl manner. 



As foon as the feeds are fown, they fhould be direflly 

 raked in, before the furface of the ground is rendered either 

 too dry by the fun or wind, or made too wet by rain, in a 

 regular and even manner, fo as to bury them hifficiently ac- 

 cording to their kinds ; all large ilones, lumpy clods, and 

 rubbifh, being cleared off; fmaller or larger rakes being 

 ufed, as they may be neceffary. See Gar/Ien-KAKE. 



But previoufly to the raking in the feeds, fown on the 

 general furface in one continued fpace, where the ground is 

 loofe, light, and dry, and in a dry feafon, it is fomctimcs 

 the praftice, after fowing, to tread them in evenly by tread- 

 ing the ground all over lightly and regularly with the feet. 

 It is alfo fometimes proper to pare up the loofe earth of the 

 alleys an inch or two deep, and fpread it thinly over the 

 furface. The work of treading in the feeds is performed 

 with the feet nearly clofe together, taking (liort regular 

 fteps, treading the furface all over, once in a place, with 

 but fmall fpaces between the lleppings. 



And in extenfive market kitchen-gardens, where large 

 trafts of ground are fown at once, inftead of raking in the 

 feed, they, for the fake of expedition and cheapnefs, have 

 light fhort-tined harrows to draw with men, with which 

 they harrow in the feeds ; and fometimes in light dry 

 ground, and a dry furface, they afterwards roll the ground 

 with a light wooden roller, to clofe and fmooth the furface 

 over the feeds more efleftually ; performing it when the fur- 

 face is a little dried, fo as not to adhere to the roller. 



Alfo in large garden-farms in fields, where they com- 

 monly plough and harrow the ground for the reception of 

 the feeds, they praclife only the broad-caft fowing in con- 

 tinued trafts, for almoft all their efculent feeds, except 

 peafe, beans, and kidney-beans ; the ground being pre- 

 pared by ploughing, and afterwards rough-harrowed, to 

 fmooth the furface moderately ; the feeds being then fown 

 in the fpreading open-handed manner, and harrowed in 

 either with a light (hort-toothed horfc-harrow, or by men 

 for particular crops ; when, if very dry weather, they roll 

 the furface afterwards with a wooden roller, drawn by 

 ihorfes. Sec. to fmooth the furface. 



In thefe fowings, the land may either be formed into fmall 

 beds of four or five feet in width, fowing each in a feparate 

 manner ; or the whole may be rendered even, and then fown 

 all over the furface, to be afterwards trodden into beds of 

 fuitabie breadths, as already fuggetted. The intervals, in 

 both cafes, when the fowing is finifhed, are to be thinly 

 pared and call over the beds, which are then raked over in 

 a regular neat manner, the whole length of them. The 

 forming the land into fmall beds may, in fome cafes, be the 



lo 



moll defirable and advantageous praftice ; as where it ii 

 wet, and not capable of bearing treading, the intervals can 

 be flood in not only to fow the ieed, but perform the raking 

 of it in, without injuring the beds by trampling upon them. 

 Befides, when weeding, watering, or tranfplanting the 

 crops become neceffary, they are capable of being flood in 

 for performing fuch works, as well as for culling and gather- 

 ing the produce of them. In kitchen-gardens, however, 

 where there is a fcarcity of ground, or where it is of confe- 

 quence to make the moft of every part of fuch ground, and 

 to ufe the utmoft expedition in fowing or putting in the 

 feed, the whole furface method, in one continued plat, may 

 be the moft eligible plan of feeding the land, efpecially in 

 very large grounds, for the mam crops of fuch kinds, at 

 the carrot, the parfnip, turnip, leeks, onions, fpinach, let- 

 tuce, radifh. and fome others. 



In the raking or harrowing in the feed, in this mode of 

 fowing, great care is to be taken not to draw the mould and 

 feed into lumps or heaps, but to bury it reijularly in the foil, 

 and finiffi the work in a neat manner. Where the feed has 

 been trodden in, but flight raking is neceffary. 



This mode of fowing and covering in the feed may be 

 had recourfe to for moft of the efculent crops, fome flower 

 plants, &c. 



It may be remarked, that the fecond method of fow- 

 ing is neceffary for maiiy forts of feeds, efculent, flower, 

 tree, and fhrub kinds in tiie nurfery, both for the plants to 

 remain where fown, and for tranfplaiitation ; which is per- 

 formed in drills, from a quarter or half an inch to two or 

 three inches deep, according to the fizes and forts of feeds ; 

 which being fown evenly along the bottom of the drill, the 

 earth is drawn evenly over them with a hoe or rake, the 

 depth as above, and the furface lightly raked fmooth. 

 This mode is always proper for large kinds of feeds, fuch as 

 peafe, beans, kidney-beans, and many large kinds of tree 

 and flirub feeds, nuts, and berries ; it being not only the 

 moft ready method of committing thofe large feeds to the 

 ground the proper depth, but, by beir.g in row5 at a dif- 

 tance, beft fuits the nature of the growth of thefe forts of 

 plants, and their methods of culture. Many kinds of fmall 

 feeds are alfo the moft conveniently fown and cultivated in 

 drills ; fuch as feveral of the kitchen-garden plants, as 

 parfley, chervil, coriander, all the forts of fmall fallading, 

 and fometimes fpinach, beet, &c. ; alfo fome of the aro- 

 matic', when defigned as edgings ; and alfo occafionally in 

 rows in beds, both to remain and for tranfplanting, fuch as 

 thyme, favory, hyffop, &c. ; likewife many forts of flower- 

 feeds for tranfplantation, and fometimes to remain. It is 

 performed by drawing the drills with a common drawing- 

 hoe, larger or fmaller, in proportion to the forts of feeds 

 to be fown ; fettirg a line as a guide to draw the drills 

 itraight by, which are drawn of different depths, as the 

 forts and fizes of the feeds may require, and at proportion, 

 able diftance.';, from three or four inches to as many feet, 

 according to the nature of the plants. Sometimes, when 

 very fmall drills are required for fine or fmall feeds, to be 

 fown in a bed, border, or hot-bed, it is done with the end 

 of the finger, or with the end of a fmall flat ftick. 



The feeds fliould in general be fown and covered in 

 direftly, if the ground be dry and in good order ; but if 

 the foil be wet, efpecially at an early fealon, it may be 

 proper to fuffer the drills to lie or be open and expofed to 

 the fun and air an hour or two, or more, to dry a little, 

 particularly for tender feeds in early fowings, in the full 

 ground. The fowing in the drills is performed for the 

 moft part with a locked or clofed hand, difcharging the 

 feeds from between the fore-finger and thumb, fcattering 



them 



