The first thing, relating to sowing, is, the preparation of the ground. It may be more or less fine according to the sort of seed to be sown. Peas and beans do not, of course, require the earth so fine as small seeds do. But, still, the finer the better for every thing; for, it is best if the seed be actually pressed by the earth in every part; and in any seeds, if not all, are best situated when the earth is trodden down upon them.



Of course the ground should be good, either in itself, or made good by manure of some sort. But, in all cases, the ground should be fresh; that is to say, it should be dug just before the act of sowing, in order that the seeds may have the full benefit of the fermentation, that takes place upon every moving of the earth.

Never sow when the ground is wet; nor, indeed, if it can be avoided, perform any other act with, or on, the ground of a garden. If you dig ground in wet weather, you make a sort of mortar of it: it binds when then sun or wind dries it.

The fermentation does not take place: and it becomes unfavorable to vegetation, especially if the ground be, in the smallest degree, stiff in its nature. It is even desirable, that wet should not come for some days after ground has been moved; for, if the wet comes before the ground be dry at the top, the earth will run together, and will become bound at top.

Sow, therefore, if possible, in dry weather, but in freshly moved ground.

The season for sowing will, of course, find a place under the names of the respective plants; and, I do hope, that it is, when I am addressing myself to Americans, unnecessary for me to say, that sowing according to the Moon is wholly absurd and ridiculous, and that it arose solely out of the circumstance, that our forefathers, who could not read, had neither almanac nor calendar, to guide them, and who counted by Moons and Festivals instead of by Months and Days of Month.

However, it is necessary to observe, that some, and even many, things, which are usually sown in the Spring, would be better sown in the fall; and, especially when we consider how little time there is for doing all things in the Spring.

Parsnips, carrots, beets, onions, and many other things, may be safely sown in the fall. The seed will not perish, if covered by the earth. But, then, care must be taken to sow early enough in the fall for the plants to come up before the frost set in.

The seed of all plants will lie safe in this wav all the winter, though the frost penetrate to the distance of three feet beneath them, except the seeds of such plants as a slight frost will cut down.

The seed of kidney beans, for instance will rot, if the ground be not warm enough to bring it up. So will the seed of cucumbers, melons, and Indian Corn, unless buried beyond the reach of the influence of the atmosphere.

Even early peas would be best sown in the fall, could you have an insurance against mice. We all know, what a bustle there is to get in early peas. If they were sown in the fall, they would start up the moment the frost were out of the ground, and would be ten days earlier in bearing, in spite of every effort made by the spring sowers to make their peas overtake them.

Upon a spot, where I saved peas for seed, last year, some that was left, in a lock of haulm, at the harvesting, and that lay upon the dry ground, till the land was ploughed late in November, came up, in the spring, the moment the frost was out of the ground, and they were in bloom full fifteen days earlier than those, sown in the same field as early as possible in the spring.

Doubtless, they would have borne peas fifteen days sooner; but there were but a very few of them, and those standing straggling about; and I was obliged to plough up the ground where they were growing.

In some cases it would be a good way, to cover the sown ground with litter, or with leaves of trees, as soon as the frost has fairly set in; but, not before; for, if you do it before, the seed may vegetate, and then may be killed by the frost. One object of this fall sowing, is, to get the work done ready for spring for, at that season, you have so many things to do at once!

Besides, you cannot sow the instant the frost breaks up; for the ground is wet and clammy, unfit to be dug or touched or trodden upon. So that here are ten days lost.