PREPARATION OF SEED. 419 



plants. Fish gnanp has about the same effect, but gives a 

 lighter color and thinner leaf. Peruvian guano is more stim- 

 ulating than either, and makes a light-colored, thin leaf. 

 Great caution is necessary in the use of these powerful medi- 

 cines to avoid an over-dose. A quantity that would be safe 

 in a heavy rain, would in a light rain kill many or nearly all 

 the plants. 



" Old seed will sprout sooner than new. The seed should 

 be measured while dry, and the same spoon used every year, 

 so the effect of a given amount may be noted and the quan- 

 tity regulated by experience. Level the seed in the spoon 

 with a knife-blade, like measuring grain in a half -bush el. 

 After sprouting again, allowing for the seed, increase in bulk 

 for each rod separately. The amount of seed needed to the 

 square rod varies with different seasons, soils, and seeds, but 

 can be loosely a tablespoonful. There are many breeds of 

 tablespoons. Too thick sowing will nearly spoil a bed by 

 causing it to produce weak, yellow, spindling plants, while 

 thin sowing will give good square ones. A bed should 

 appear about half stocked till the plants are nearly ready to 

 set, when they will suddenly spread and seem to multiply. 



" Some growers sprout and some prefer dry seed. In 

 favorable circumstances sprouting will give a gain of four 

 to six days, but in many cases dry seed will be fully as early. 

 A long sprout is liable to be broken off in sowing, or killed 

 by cold, after it is in the ground. A sprout just showing will 

 endure several nights' freezing if there is some warm sun in 

 the day-time. One way to sprout is to spread the seed 

 thinly on cotton cloth, and roll it up inside of woolen cloth, 

 keep it in a warm place, and dip in warm water every day. 

 In about four days the white spots will show. Sprouted no 

 more than this, it will stand unfavorable weather as well as 

 dry seed. A pint of meal and a pint of plaster to each rod, 

 is a good mixture to sow in. louring from one dish to 

 another many times will mix the plaster, meal, and seed per- 

 fectly if dry. If sprouted, it should be rubbed through the 

 hands a few times with the mixture, to dry it and prevent 

 any bunches of plants coming from seed stuck together. 

 The plaster will show on the ground whether the sowing is 

 being done evenly. 



" Weeding should of course be done early and thoroughly. 

 Weeds are stronger than the plants, and a little neglect will 

 check them, making practically, perhaps, a difference of sev- 

 eral days. A good way to prepare for weeding and taking 



