ed and
sowing in a poor way. See, here you have a little pile of seed, and
there you have none," and Elizabeth bent eagerly over the bed.

"Well, if you think you can do better, just try this next drill." Jack
straightened up, and gave way to Elizabeth.

"Wait a minute," and Elizabeth ran into the house. Soon she came out
with some small seed envelopes in her hand. From the bag of lettuce
seed--for Jack had bought his seed by bulk--Elizabeth poured some into
a small envelope. Then by shaking the envelope she carefully and
sparingly sowed the lettuce in the drill.

"I say, that is good!" said Jack admiringly. "Now I'll do some myself."

"I should think you would wish only one more row; then have a row, or
perhaps two, to transplant in. For I believe you'll have to prick out
the plants before the garden is ready."

"You talk like the real thing, Elizabeth. What do you mean by pricking
out?"

"Why, pricking is just lifting out the seedlings with a pointed stick
from one row to another, or from a box or hotbed into the outside
garden. What else are you going to plant, Jack?"

"I thought I'd put in--say two rows of tomatoes, one row of onions, and
one of peppers. In the third partition I'd start asters. I just love
asters. So I've made up my mind to make a kind of specialty of these."

"That's fine! May I help?"

"You certainly may, for you are a help."

Elizabeth chuckled away to herself, for Jack evidently was not
questioning where she got her knowledge. "It seems to me," she rather
timidly suggested, "that it would look more shipshape to label these
rows, and put in little sticks where each row begins and ends."

"Well now, that is a fine suggestion." So Jack stuck in some little
sticks he got from the woodshed. Elizabeth did not dare offer some
nicely made little markers laid away in her desk for future use. She
feared those would call forth questions.

Jack brought out a hammer and tacks. Then writing the names of the seeds
on the little envelopes Elizabeth had brought out, he tacked one over
each row onto the inside of the frame. They both stood off and admired
the work.

Warm days Jack opened the frame, at first only a little, and later, wide
open for all day. One night he forgot to close it, and a slight frost
made a sorry looking set of seedlings next morning. He lost every single
plant except a few little asters, which were protected by the inner
partition of the frame. These seedlings he watered at