22 



DICKSON ON 



in weight, as well as in value, to that which their sowing 

 would produce. 



DIRECTIONS AS TO SOWING. 



The land being well cleaned, pulverised, and in proper 

 state of tilth, from good harrowing and hand-picking, 

 it should be made level by rolling, but to guide the sower 

 it should be marked off in divisions like ridges of six or seven 

 feet in breadth, in order that he may give a regular and 

 equal supply of seed, to each and all ; this done, the seed 

 should be sown broadcast, — and as the seed should not be 

 more than one inch covered when the harrowing and rolling 

 are finished, — a very light, short tooth-seed harrow, should 

 be drawn to and fro over each marked division, and having 

 got over the field in this manner, it should be all gone over 

 anglewise, as that will spread the seed more equally, and the 

 small drills that are made by the teeth of the harrow in the 

 first instance, will be obliterated. Having finished the har- 

 rowing in this way, if the ground be in such a state that the 

 earth will not adhere to the roller, it should be well rolled, 

 as such labour is indispensable on all soils, especially on light 

 soils, for as the seed is small, the earth that covers it should 

 be reduced to mould and made free from lumps, so that the 

 bud which grows into the air may get up freely, at the same 

 time the rolling brings the earth round the seed into a 

 firmness that is requisite to create the moisture that softens 

 and swells it previous to its budding. 



THE WEEDING. 



This very essential part may be very easily got over if c^re 

 has been taken in cleansing the soil at the time of ploughing 

 and harrowing, and if attention has been paid to the seed 

 being properly cleaned previous to sowing, but as some seeds 

 of weeds may have escaped notice, any that may appear 



