Fluid-drilling is the term used to describe sowing seed in a liquid carrier. Elliot (1966) used a tractor-mounted fluid drill designed by the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering to sow normal seed into killed grassland, and a similar but modified drill was subsequently used at the National Vegetable Research Station to sow pre-germinated vegetable seeds (Gurrah et al., 1974; Gurrah, 1975). It then became necessary for compact and economical experiments to be carried out, both on and off the Station, creating a requirement for a small, portable, easily operated, hand-powered drill of simple and robust construction (Gurrah, 1975). Such a drill was built in 1975 and is described in this paper.