SOWING. 



them CTenly along the bottom of tlie drill, fome forts re- 

 quuintr to be fown thinly juit along the middle, fuch as in 

 the angular drills drawn corner-ways of the hoe, for peas 

 and many other larger feeds ; alfo (ometimes for fmaller 

 feeds when intended for edgings ; but in the (hallow flat- 

 bottomed drill?, it is generally intended for the feeds to be 

 fcattered evenly the whole width of the drill, thicker or 

 thinner, according to the nature of growth of their refpec- 

 tive plants. 



The work of covering or turning in the earth into 

 the drills over the feeds, may be performed occafionally 

 with the rake, hoe, and feet ; but the rake or hoe is the 

 molt proper for general pratlice for all fmaller feeds, draw- 

 ing the earth evenly into the drills a regular depth, fully to 

 the depth of the drill, whether deep or (hallow : however, 

 peas, beans, kidney-beans, and fuch like larger feeds, in 

 large drills at wide diftances, are often covered in with the 

 feet, by flipping them lightly along each fide of the drill 

 alternately, turning the earth evenly in over the feeds ; the 

 furface being then lightly trimmed along with the rake, to 

 fmooth it and clear it of large (tones, &c. 



This is a manner of fowing which has not only the ad- 

 vantage of putting in the feeds to the molt equal, regular, 

 and fuitable depths, but of placing them in rows at fuch 

 diilances, as may admit the fun, light, and air, in the moll 

 elFeftual manner for promoting the growth of the plants as 

 crops. Befides, the moulding up, and necellary culture 

 afterwards, can be better and more beneficially performed. 



Tn the lalt method of fowing, the ground being dug and 

 formed into four or five-feet wide beds, with alleys a fpade's 

 width or more between bed and bed, and the earth drawn off 

 the top of the bed with a rake or fpade half an inch, or an 

 inch or more deep, into the alley, the feed is (own all over 

 the furface of the bed ; which done, the earth in the alley 

 is immediately, either with a rake, drawn fpreadingly upon 

 the bed again over the feeds the fame depth, or fpread over 

 with a fpade, and the furface raked fmooth and even in a 

 fimilar manner. It is often pradifed in the nurferies, efpe- 

 cially in fowing fome large forts of feeds, as well as others, 

 but not very frequently in kitchen-gardens. It is not fo 

 expeditious as the broad-caft (owing, but is very proper for 

 many forts of (mall feed:, and many forts of the tree and 

 (hrub kind, being a very regular method of fowing, fo as 

 to cover all the feeds an equal depth, and is performed two 

 or three different ways ; fuch as by the rake, by the fpade, 

 and by fifting. It is alfo (ometimes performed with the 

 rake and fpade together, particularly when intended to fow 

 any large feeds a good depth, ufing the rake to (hove or 

 rake the earth from off the bed into the alleys ; or if it 

 cannot be conveniently performed with the rake a proper 

 depth, it is effeiled with the fpade, trimming or paring the 

 earth evenly off the lurface into the alleys; then fowing 

 the feeds all over the furface ; and if they are of tlie larger 

 berry, nut, or (tone kind, or any other large feed, previous 

 to covering them, prefling or patting them all evenly down 

 into the earth with the back of the fpade ; and then, either 

 with the rake or fpade, ipreading the earth out of the 

 alleys evenly over them ; though if it is a deep covering, 

 efpecially when taken ofl with the fpade, it is moll eligible 

 to ufe the fame implement in returning it, being careful to 

 fpread it evenly, to cover the feeds all equally a proper 

 depth, fmoothing the furface with the rake in linifhing the 

 work. 



Another method fomctimes praftifed with large feeds is, 

 that when the ground is laid out in bed'; uiiraked, the feed 

 is (own on the furface, and with a rake (Iricken a little into 

 the earth, then with a fpade paring the alleys, and calling 



the earth evenly over the bed, half an inch, or an inch or 

 more deep, as may be required, raking the furface even. 

 This is alfo fometimes praftifed in wettifh ground, at an 

 early feafon, when it does not readily admit of treading or 

 raking. And by deepening the alleys and railing the beds, 

 it drains the moillure from the furface, which is a great ad- 

 vantage in many cafes. 



The method by fifting is fometimes pradtifed for feveral 

 fmall light feeds of a more delicate nature, that require a 

 very light covering of earth when fown ; as, in order to 

 cover them as (hallow as polTible, it is done by fifting fine 

 earth over them out of a wire or chip fieve. Before the 

 leed is fown, the furface of the bed, &c. is raked fine ; 

 then the earth thinly (liovcd off the furface of the bed with 

 the back of the rake into the alley, making the furface as 

 fmooth as pofiible, and then fowing the feed, fmoothing it 

 down lightly with the fpade, and fifting the earth in the 

 alleys evenly over it to a fuitable thicknefs, as half a quarter 

 or a quarter of an inch deep ; or fometimes the furface is only 

 raked as fmooth as poffible without drawing off the earth, 

 and fometimes only lightly fmoothed with the back of the 

 fpade, then fowing the feed, and letting fome loofe fine 

 earth from the alley, or fome brought for the purpofe, be 

 Cfted thinly over it. Thi?, too, is a fort of broad-call fowing, 

 as the feed is (own over all the furface, but in a fomewhat 

 different way to that manner of fowing. But the modes 

 of fowing the different forts of feed crops are mure fuUy 

 explained under their refpeftive heads. 



In the fowing of all kinds of garden feeds, a greater and 

 more e.-iaft attention to times and feafons is necedary than 

 in the field, not only for the produftion of full and good 

 crops of difiercnt kinds, but that of having them in due, 

 proper, and regular fuccellion. Small errors, in this refpcct, 

 are not unfrequently productive of much trouble, incon. 

 venience, and dilappointmeiit to the cultivators of fuch 

 crops, but alio to thole who make ufe of them. The 

 neglcft of only a few days or a week, in foino cafes, is even 

 of very material conlequence in the raifing of crops of this 

 nature. 



The larger principal crops are conftantly to be fown as 

 near their proper times as pollible, and the fncceffioiial ones 

 in due order alter them. Sometimes, however, fmall crops 

 are fown to come in before the large main ones in particular 

 indances, in which a nice attention to the proper feafon is 

 requifite. 



Small feeds mud alfo be regularly and exaftly fown in 

 order to have proper fupplies of dilh rent forts of young 

 plants for fetting out at proper times and in proper fuc- 

 ceffion. 



For flower feeds, exadt periods of lowing, according to 

 the nature and habits of the plant.s, mult be liki wife clioicn 

 in the view of having them in the fulleil and bell perfediion, 

 as well as for projier fuccedlons in different cafes. 



In moll cafes of garden fowing, it is better to bo rather 

 too early than too late, in the ditierent feafons lor perform- 

 ing the bufinefs. 



Sov/iSG-Mac/jinc; an agricultural implement, which, as 

 its name imports, is employed for fowing feeds, and dif- 

 tributing them ,-it regular diltanccs upon the land. 



The greater number of (owing-machines which are in 

 ulc, are called (Irillin^-machims, becaufe they depofit the 

 feeds in parallel and equidillant rows, or drills extending 

 the whole length ol the field. This fyltem of fowing corn, 

 or other feeds, which was invented by Tull, ha,^ many ad- 

 vocates, whilll others prefer the ancient mode of broad-calt 

 hwlbandry, in which the feed is fcattered equally over tlir 

 whole (urfacc of the laud. For the comparative .idvan- 



tagcP 



