Xiv INTRODUCTION. 



When the corn is dropped, with the foot scrape suffi- 

 cient soil over it to cover to the depth of half an 

 inch, then step on the hill in such a manner that it 

 will get the whole weight of the body, no matter 

 how heavy it may be. This same rule will apply to 

 the planting of most other seeds. Proper care in 

 planting, and the too common practice of burying 

 seeds is just the difference between success and fail- 

 ure in their germination and growth. 



SYSTEMATIC ASSISTANCE. 



The discouragements from trifling neglects are 

 frequent means of letting the garden go to waste, 

 when labor intelligently employed would add mate- 

 rially to the happiness of home by surrounding it by 

 the beautiful and useful in plant life. No matter 

 how pleasant home may be, how small the place 

 allotted for the garden, climbing vines on the fence, 

 or half a dozen tomato plants that can easily be 

 grown, even in a city yard, will materially enhance 

 them. Seeds sown with care, whether of vegetables 

 or foi* flowers, will surely groAv and add to the 

 pleasures of the family. 



There is not a seedsman in the land who is not, 

 at one time or another, accused of selling poor seed, 

 at least so far as its growing qualities are concerned. 

 We have heard complaints from every quarter, 

 heaped upon every seedsman's head, and while there 

 are undoubtedly some causes for complaint, we ear- 

 nestly believe that in more than 95 per cent, of the 

 cases, poor seed means poor attention. In every 

 locality there is always a man for whom every seed 

 will grow — "a man of luck," — ^there is also generaHy 



