Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-05-18
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Planting sman Seeds:

: 49,
There. are many failures ii, PLANTING
or sowing small garden and farm seeds
from three causes, namely, in not SUI.
iciently ,pu,yerizing the soil, in buying
too. deep, and in not compressing the
earth closely about the seeds.
l. Without thorough pulverization
the soil and its, moisture can not be
brought into close contact with the
seed. but only,a few points of the small
elodsland Jumps will touch it, and air
erevices be left all about it. The small
er the seed. the larger will be these crew
lees in comparison. Seeds wiffbot grow
buried in a .stone-heap. or in 3 heap. Of.
coarse clods. The more nearly the soil
i, reduced to the condition OF line pow
der the BETTER Garden beds should
therefore be finely pulyerized with. a
thorough use of the steel rake. - Ma
nure, when applied, should be thoroughly
broken up and well intermixed IN
sowing the smaller fiowef-seeds, which
are not to be covered over half an inch
deep, it is well to pulverise the earth
with the thumb and finger. as It is.
dropped insthe drill. If the soil is not
dry enough for the operation, waituntii'
it becomes so, avid more willis gained
by the delay than by the hasty covering
OF tineseeds with wet clods. A rtlie has
been correctly given, that strong, SOIL
is never. dry enough until a clod under
the pressure of the boot is orumhled to )
powder, instead of pressed 60 a soft and
yielding mass. ,..,.,,e.1
2. 2. Seeds are often buried too deep.
They must never be placed beyond the
reach of air. An old and good, rule is
lto, cover them to asdepth varying from
three TO five times their diameter. HIT
this rule Will vary with the character of
the soil and its condition. More depth
will be required for dry than for
moist covering; and greater depth of
sand may be applied than of compact
clay. Seedsmen are sometimes falsely
charged with selling poor seed. merely
because the gardener buried it to such
depth that il could not grow. We hasc,
witnessed some. rather striking instances
of such mistakes T.
B. The soil should be sufficiently com
pressed about the seed, otherwise there
will be many air-cavities, The amount.
of pressure given willdepend ON circ0ms
stances If the earth is finely p,ilver-
lied, less pressure will be reduifedNhhn
with coarse or lumpy soil. A heavier
pressure needs to be given with a0drY
than a moist. soil. 1t is an old
opinion that seeds terminate better
If sown just before a rain thar
after it, This may be true when
a fine soil has been previously we'll
pressed about the seed. More common
ly coarse soil has prevented a-elose,
packing, and the soil having been soft
ened more or less by shower. will the
more closely encase the seed With q
moderate pressure. If the gardener
understands the rationale of all these
operations, he will be more likely to
avoid mistakes, and to meet with rni--
form success, than il he pursues blind
and unconditional rules
| In sowing every kind of seed. and
with different conditions of the soil. ~
great deal that is really valuable in
/ practice, as well as really interesting,
may be learned by trying different
modes side by side. Bury the seeds at
different depths. and mark each portion;
| observe the condition of the soil as to
moisture and iineness; plant both be-
I fore and after rain. in commonly
coarse and in 4 finely pulverized soil;
these experiments, performed side by
side, will during the season of growth
convey much valuable instrue zion to the
operator. - Country Gentleman.