247 FERTILIZERS 
of soil to one of lime for the first mixture; for 
cowpea vines, four ounces of soil to one of vines, 
and only 14 ounces of soil to one of manure. 
One ounce of each of these mixtures to five 
pounds of soil will give the right proportion 
of each to the acre, or, one ton of lime, five tons 
of cowpea vines, and ten tons of manure to the 
acre. 
After you have added the fertilizers to the 
soil, it is left standing in pans or boxes for 
several days, being watered with rain water or 
melted ice water and frequently stirred. Do 
not use well or hard water, for those contain 
lime or salts, only rain water. Moisten the soil 
at the end of a few days until it is in the best 
condition for planting seeds. You soon learn 
to judge this. 
Divide the soil in each pan into five equal 
parts and put one part in each of five wire 
baskets, pressing it down at the bottom and 
sides. After this is done, brush off the soil that 
has been forced through the mesh of the net- 
ting. The basket should be filled to within one- 
half inch from the top. The baskets are now 
ready for planting. 
A couple of days before planting, put wheat 
grains between moist cloths, cover with wet 
sand and place in a warm spot to start ger- 
