134 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
celery, are often merely pressed into the soil. A very 
slight covering is sufficient for many seeds when the best 
conditions are provided. The reader should consult the 
chapter on the culture of the various classes of vege- 
tables to obtain more definite information on the propet 
depths for planting. 
195. Soaking seeds. — The soaking of seeds before sow- 
ing is of doubtful value. It may be the means of hasten- 
ing germination a few days, although sowing earlier will 
accomplish the same purpose. When plants are killed 
by frost and it becomes necessary to make another sow- 
ing a slight gain will be made by soaking the seed. Most 
growers, however, never soak any kind of seed before 
sowing except when desirable to treat it for disease. 
196. Broadcasting or drilling. — Some crops may be 
grown from seed sown broadcast, but this is impossible 
with plants requiring frequent cultivation. Thousands 
of farmers always broadcast turnip seed, while drilling 
is a common practice among truckers and market gar- 
deners. Broadcasting is not without merit. It may be 
done very quickly, and the individual plant often has a 
better chance for full development than when grown by 
the drill method. This is particularly true with seedlings 
that must be transplanted. Some growers of late cabbage 
plants always broadcast the seed, because they claim that 
the plants are stronger and stockier than plants grown 
in drills without thinning. The same remarks apply to 
lettuce, whether sown under glass or in the open. Most 
of the arguments, however, are in favor of drilling, and 
the advantages over broadcasting may be enumerated 
as follows: (1) By sowing in drills it is possible to culti- 
vate the soil. This is exceedingly important with prac- 
tically all crops. (2) It is easier to thin when the plants 
are in rows than when they are scattered. When 
properly thinned they should be just as strong as when 
grown from seed sown broadcast. (3) The seed is sown 
