PREPARATION OF SEED. 419 
nts. Fish guano has about the same effect, but gives a 
ihter 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-bushel. 
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 isin 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. Pouring 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 
