feet it coiitaiDS, and enough seed is mixed with ashes to sow one land 

 at a time at the rate of 2 tablespoon fuls to each 100 square yards. 

 After the sowing is completed a heavy roller is drawn over the bed, 

 thus packing the seed well into the soil, making the surface smooth, 

 and preventing the rapid drying out of the surface, that would other- 

 wise take place. If the ground is drj^, it should be watered immediately 

 after sowing the seed, and this should be continued from time to time 

 as the soil may require. In the absence of rain after the plants are up 

 the watering should be continued. An illustration of one of the seed 

 beds is given in Plate I, fig. 1 . 



There are many enemies to the seed bed in the way of insects, so 

 a careful watch is necessary. As sooii as there is any appearance of 

 flea-beetles or horn worms it is the i)ractice to spray the bed with Paris 

 green mixed with water, at the rate of one teaspoonful to two i^allons 

 of water. In order to keep down all insects the bed is sprayed 

 at least three times a week. It is usual to have i)lants large enough 

 to transplant within sixty or seventy days from the time of sowing the 

 bed. This applies to the January and February sowings; March and 

 April sowings will give plants from forty to sixty days after being 

 sown. The sowings are arranged according to what the requirements 

 are likely to be in the planting season. In selecting early seed beds, 

 it is best to get lands sloping from north to south, protected on the 

 north by forests and open on the south to let iu the midday sun. It is 

 safer to protect these early beds by covering them with cheese cloth 

 stretched on frames made around and over the beds. (PI. I.) 



When the plants are drawn for transplanting, great care should be 

 taken to get as much root as possible. Each person drawing jdants 

 should be provided with a bucket of water, and as soon as the plants 

 are drawn the roots should be washed to remove all dirt that may have 

 stuck to them. The plants are then placed in a basket, roots down, and 

 immediately set out. This washing of the roots is not generally 

 practiced, but it has been found that the i:)lauts live and grow better 

 when the roots -are clean. After each drawing of the plants from a bed 

 the soil should be immediately watered, in order to close up the places 

 from which the plants were drawn. After all the plants have been 

 drawn from the beds, all vegetation should at once be cut down and 

 the bed covered with straw^ and leaves to a depth of about G inches. 

 This covering prevents the grass, weeds, etc., from growing and also 

 serves as a mulch. With this care a plot of land may be used for 

 several years for the growing of plants. 



FIELD CULTURE. 



The soil selected should be light, gray, sandy loam with clay subsoil. 

 The land should be broken ui^ in ^November or December, allowing the 

 plow to cut from 4 to 6 inches deep, according to the nature of the soil 

 and the quantity of fertilizer used. If a large quantity of fertilizer is 



