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 is in 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
perfectly 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 several days. A good way to prepare for weeding and
taking up plants, is to make the bed about fifteen feet
wide, and place round, straight poles across it about eleven
feet apart. The poles should be three inches in diameter at
the smallest end. They cost nothing and save moving blocks
around with the weeding planks."

If the plants are tardy of growth, or the season