Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-01
Sowing Garden Seeds.

Some seedsmen, whose consciences are
shor, er than their purses, have habit of
| selling any kind of seeds rather than lose.
Some seeds will grow nearly as we'll when
| wear old as when fresh gathered. but
many will not; but if the seedsmen
have stock left on hand it is a tempta-
ton to mix them with new ones and sell
them for fresh There is no reason why
they should do this from any point. of
Justice to themselves. When scotsman
fixes the price at which he can afford to
sell the seeds, the probability that some
may be left on hand unsOld is taken into
consideration, and in every ten-ccnt paper
sold there has been, no doubt, at least one
cent estimated and included for probable
loss on unsold stock. 1t Is, therefore, only
an inordinate desire for extra gain-mere
greed-which induces merchant to nut
oldtseeds with newg and few first-class
houses who esteem their reputation ever
do it, as their regular fair profit, calcula
ted on the basis above given, is sufficient
to put out of temptation dishonest prac
tees.
p, If seed be bad, no amount of care in
sowing willamake them grow; but, on the
other hand, there is no room for doubt
that very large quantity of seed which
does not grow, and which is charged as
bad against the scotsman selling the seed
is really the result of the sewers ignorance
of the proper way to SOW them.
The commoneSt error is to SOW too deep
Seeds want moisture before thew will
grow, but they do not like to stay in
water. They need air and moisture-not
moisture or water alone. When, there
fore, water lies long about sprouting
seed, and the air is prevented from oper-
atinag ;t at the same time, the young plantlet
is tolerably sure to rot away aNows the
danger from water is just in proportion to
the depth the seed is below the surface
Very soon after rain the surface dries.
Beneath the surface it is longer in getting
away; the nearer the surface, therefore, a
seed can be sown so that it can be kept
regularly moist, the safer the seed is to
grow. OF course the texture of the soil has
much to do with modifying depth. In a
light, sandy soil water will pass readily
away, and the necessary air will follow
more readily than it will in a stiff soil; the
seed, therefore, that would be in great dan
ger in a quarter Of an inch of depth in a
heavy soil, would come through an inch
Of sand: and it is this which renders it
impossible to give any rule as to the
proper depth to SOW the various kinds of
seeds, and the necessity Of a philosophical
chapter like this which attempts to show
the principle Of successful culture rather
than regular rule for people to follow.
If we could have regular moisture.
right at the surface of the ground and
keep secure against any sudden driving, it
would be best to SOW entirely on the sur
face; but as we cannot, results the neces-
sity Of covering a little with earth-but if
attention be paid to proper powdering
or pulverlZing Of the soil, we might get
the seed much nearer the surface than is
generally thought possible. To know our
meaning from experience which, after all
IS the best teacher, let a piece Of ground
newly dug or ploWed stay for day or two
in its rough condition, until the coarse,
cloddy pieces are little dry. Then walk
across the ground. If next day the foot
prints be examined the crushed soil will
be found Of the dark brown color which
dampncss giyes to soil while the other
portions OF the land are nearly dried out
II seed trod in under foot at the time of
making these footprints would be nearly
sure to grow, while any scattered in the
coarse soil would run the risk Of either
being dried out or drowned out by getting
too deep under the soil Indeed we know
Of one man, who has the best success in
raising garden vegetables Of any man we
know, who always SoWs his seeds by tread
inc them in. He takes care to rel good seeds
from a reputable source, and then sows on
the surface. The ground is first forked
up, and lies a day or two to dry. OF
course it is made tolerably level, but no
special attempt is made to have the sur
face particularly fine. When ready to SOW,
the garden line is stretched in the direc-
ton desired, and the seeds sown thinlv
along the line, on the surface of the
ground. Then he walks along sideways,
each foot closely one after the other
along the line, and the seeds are trodden
in He seems to have every seed to grow
and they grow esTly; and another advan~
tage is that they rarely require much thin
ming out. 1t has been a comforting doc
trine with some dishonest scedsmen--a
sort of sop to their cOnscienccs-that ii is
a benefit to the customer to mix seeds
which will not grow with those which
will, because they say tie people always
SOW too thick, and thus this dilutiOn is to
their interest But it would not do for
seedsmen Of this class thus to water
stock for oUr friend. Finding that by
his plan he has no rotten sccd-that ar cry
seed grows-he soWs only just &bout
enough to fin the ground properly; and
the scotsman that sold poor seeds to him
would not have the opportunity tn sec
ond time.-forney's Weekly Press.