See Germination. In addition a few practical directions may be given. Let all sowing be done in drills. For small seeds, such as lettuce, cabbage, etc, the drills may be sunk by pressing the handle of the hoe into the freshly dug soil; but for larger seeds, as parsneps, beet, and onions, the drills must be struck with the hoe.

All sowing should be performed in dry weather, more particularly all early sowing in winter and spring; but in hot weather, in summer and autumn, it may often be eligible to take advantage of sowing immediately after a shower or moderate rain.

The drills being at some distance from one another, not only admit the sun, air, and rain more effectually to the plants, and give them a greater scope, than such as are sown broadcast, but admit more readily the hoe between the drills to cut down weeds and loosen the soil.

The general method of forming drills for the reception of seeds, is with a common drawing-hoe, sometimes with a large hoe, and sometimes a middling or small hoe, according to the size of the drill required, and size and nature of the seeds; drawing the drill sometimes with the corner of the hoe. especially for larger seeds, and sometimes with the edge of the hoe flatwise or horizontally; but large seeds, such as peas, kidney beans, many of the nut kinds, and other large seeds, both of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, require a deep angular drill, drawn with the corner of the hoe, turning the face or edge close to the line, so draw the drill along with an angular bottom evenly, the depth required, the earth remaining close along the side of the drill, ready for turning in again over the seeds; but where flat or shallow drills are required for smaller seeds, it may in many cases, be more eligible to draw the drill with the hoe flatwise, holding the edge in a horizontal position.

Bedding In Sowing

In this method the ground being dug and formed in four or five feet wide beds with alleys, a spade width or more between bed and bed, and the earth being drawn off the top of the bed with a rake or spade, half an inch or an inch deep into the alleys, the seed is then sown all over the surface of the bed, which being done, the earth in the alleys is immediately drawn or cast over the bed, again covering the seeds the same depth, and the surface is raked smooth.

The method of bedding in sowing by sifting, is sometimes practised for very small or light seeds of a more delicate nature, that require a very light covering of earth when sown, so in order to bury them as shallow as possible, cover them in by sifting fine earth over them out of a wire sieve. - Abercrombie.