For the Southern States. 21 
SOWING SEEDS. 
Some seeds are sown at once where they are to remain and mature. 
Others are sown in seed beds and transplanted afterwards. Seeds 
should be covered according to their size, a covering of earth twice 
the size of the seed is about the maximum. Some seeds, such as 
Beans, Corn and Peas, can be covered from one to two inches, and 
they will come up well. Here is a difference again: Wrinkled Peas 
and Sugar Corn have to be covered lighter and more carefully than 
Marrowfat Peas or the common varieties of Corn. It depends upon 
the nature of the soil, season of the year, etc. For instance, in heavy 
wet soil seeds have to be covered lighter than in sandy light ground. 
Seeds which are sown during summer in the open ground, such as 
Beets and Carrots, should be soaked over night in water and rolled in 
ashes or plaster before sowing; they will come up quicker. When 
they are sown in a seed bed, the ground should be light enough not 
to bake after a rain. Some varieties of seeds require shade when sown 
during the summer, such as Cauliflower, Celery and Lettuce. Care 
should be taken to have the shade at least three feet from the ground, 
and shade only after the sun has been on the bed for two or three 
hours, and remove again early in the afternoon, so the plants may 
become sturdy. If too much shaded they will be drawn up, long-Jog¬ 
ged, and not lit to be set out in the open ground. The most successful 
cabbage-planters in this neighborhood sow’ their seed in the open 
ground, towards the end of July and during August, and give them 
no shade, but water and keep the ground moist from the day of sow¬ 
ing till the plants are transplanted. Seed should be sown thinly in 
the seed bed. If plants come up too thickly they are apt to damp off. 
Lettuce seed should be sprouted during the hot months before 
sowing, according to directions given for June. 
To sow’ Turnips on a large scale during late summer and early fall 
months, the ground should be prepared in advance, and the seed sown 
just before or during a rain. Small pieces of ground, of course, can 
be sown at any time and watered afterwards. For covering all kinds 
of seeds a fork is preferable to a rake; with either implement care 
must be taken not to cover the seeds too deep. Beans, Peas and Corn 
are covered with the hoe. Some fine seeds, such as Thyme or Tobac¬ 
co, are covered enough when pressed with the back of the spade to 
the ground. The seedsman is often blamed for selling seeds which 
•have not come up, when the same are perfectly good, but, perhaps, 
through ignoiance the party by whom they were sown, placet! them 
too deep or too shallow’ in the ground ; or the ground may have been 
just moist enough to swell the seeds, and they failed to come up. At 
other times washing rains after sowing beat the ground and form a 
crust that the seeds are not able to penetrate ; or, if there is too much 
fresh manure in the ground, it will burn the seed, and destroy its 
vitality. 
When seeds, such as Beans, Cucumbers, Melons and Squash, are 
planted before it is warm enough, they are very apt to rot if it rains. 
