FAMILIAR LESSONS ON PRACTICAL GARDENING. 
407 
seed which is sown, where the plants are to 
remain to come to maturity, more than enough 
seeds are used, in order to ensure a full crop 
of plants. The extra plants, in these cases, 
are to be regarded as weeds, and either cut 
up by the hoe, or removed by hand-weeding, 
unless it be any crop of which the plants 
may be successfully transplanted, either on to 
another plot of ground, or to fill up vacancies. 
The latter should always be looked to. 
SOWING. 
A seed is a plant in embryo. When seeds 
are placed in situations to which air has 
access, and where they are acted on by heat 
and moisture, they sprout or germinate, and 
thus produce young plants ; darkness is also 
favourable to germination, but is not essential, 
like air, heat, and moisture, for seeds will 
germinate if the latter are supplied them, 
even though exposed to light. When seeds 
are placed just beneath the surface of the soil, 
they are therefore in the most favourable 
position for their growth, the soil supplying 
them with the moisture it drinks in from the 
shower, transmitting to them the warmth it 
absorbs from the sun-rays, shielding them 
from direct light, and yet permitting the 
access of atmospheric air. The soil is in a 
proper state for the reception of seeds, when 
it is finely pulverized and in a friable con- 
dition, and moderately charged with moisture; 
it is then permeable to air; its loose texture, 
and the absence of excess of moisture, is 
conducive to warmth, while there is yet mois- 
ture enough for the purposes of germination. 
The soil is not in a proper state for the recep- 
tion of the seeds, either if it is very dry or 
very wet, or (except for special purposes) very 
much consolidated, or very close and adhesive 
in its texture ; but neither of these conditions 
will exist if proper attention has been paid to 
draining and pulverizing. 
Different seeds require to be placed at dif- 
ferent depths. It is a rule, that seeds should 
be covered by a depth of soil about equal to 
their own thickness ; but this is generally 
exceeded. Very minute seeds, those of the 
tobacco for example, if scattered over even a 
tolerably fine surface, will fall down between 
the little protuberances of the soil, and thus, 
if not actually covered, will be sufficiently 
shielded both from light and drought ; but in 
such cases it is advisable to cover the surface 
with some material to prevent evaporation, 
such as moss or litter, which must be removed 
as soon as the seeds begin to germinate. 
Larger seeds, but which are still but of small 
size, such as those of the cabbage, may be 
covered with an eighth of an inch deep of 
soil. Seeds of the size of those of the radish 
may be covered from about a quarter to half 
of an inch ; the smaller garden peas about an 
inch, and the larger ones and beans from an 
inch and a-half to two inches. There is no 
advantage to be derived from placing any 
seeds at a proportionably great depth ; and 
many of the smaller seeds, if placed an inch 
beneath the surface, would have their germina- 
tion much retarded, if not altogether prevented, 
till they were brought nearer the surface. 
It is seldom desirable to apply water to the 
soil between the periods of sowing and germi- 
nation. If the soil is moderately moist, it will 
be in a fit state for the reception of the seeds; 
but if the weather is very dry, and the soil is 
deficient of moisture, the ground should be 
thoroughly damped previously to sowing, and 
then instead of subsequent waterings it is 
preferable to cover the surface so as to pre- 
vent evaporation, until germination has taken 
place. In the latter case, when the seeds are 
sown in drills, the drills should be well 
watered after being opened, and the seeds 
sown while they remain damp. Throughout 
dry seasons, too, the seeds themselves may be 
soaked in water for a few hours previous to 
sowing them, which will be of benefit by 
hastening their germination ; it is the larger 
seeds especially which should be so treated. 
There are two general methods of seed- 
sowing, viz. in drills or channels, and broad- 
cast. The former method is preferable for 
nearly all the garden crops that are sown 
where they are to remain ; the latter chiefly 
for such as are sown in one spot to be trans- 
planted to other situations. 
Drill-sowing in a garden is performed 
thus: — The garden line is stretched tightly 
across the ground, which is first rendered 
moderately fine on the surface, in the place 
where one row of seeds is to be deposited ; 
the operator standing on the right of the line, 
with the draw-hoe in his hand, the right hand 
being lowest, (or on the left side if he works 
with the left hand lowest, the difference being 
that in the one case he begins at one end of 
the line, and in the other at the opposite end,) 
draws the corner of the hoe along the ground 
by the side of the line, the cutting edge of 
the hoe being in contact with the line ; this 
act forces out the soil on one side, leaving a 
small channel parallel with the line ; the 
workman proceeds in this way backwards 
across the ground, and thus forms what is 
called a drill, which may be of any depth, 
from the merest scratch suitable for small 
seeds, to two or three inches deep for the 
larger seeds, the depth being obtained by 
forcing the corner of the hoe down into the 
soil while opei'ating. The line is then shifted 
to the position of the next row of seeds or 
plants, and the same is repeated ; and thus 
the work proceeds till the whole is finished. 
