they are shaped and graded and raked fine. The next thing to do is
to lay your board across the bed, with one edge six inches from the edge
of the bed. Then stand on the board and with a pointed stick make a
shallow furrow on each side of the board close to the board. Here I
should put the lettuce. It is desirable to have the seeds evenly and not
too thickly distributed in the shallow furrows. One way of
accomplishing this is by mixing your seeds with some very fine wood
ashes in a bowl and spreading the mixed ashes and seeds along the
furrows. A better way, I think, in the case of a small quantity of seeds
would be to place each seed at a proper distance from the others. This
distance will vary according to the size of the full grown heads of
lettuce. The smaller varieties might stand six inches apart, while the
largest ones would need to be twice that distance or more.

Having planted your lettuce seeds, turn your board over carefully twice.
That will bring it into position for two more rows of vegetables. Stand
on the board again and proceed as before, making two shallow furrows
with a pointed stick. Here I should put the radish seeds. These may be
sown more thickly, for the reason that as soon as the radishes become
large enough to eat they may be pulled out, leaving room for the rest of
the radishes to develop.

Having planted your radish seeds, repeat the preceding operations,
making two furrows again, this time for beet seeds. These may also be
sown thickly. The plants may be thinned out afterward. The small plants
that are pulled out will make excellent greens. When the thinning is
completed the remaining plants should stand from four to six inches
apart, according to variety; some beets are much larger than others.

The rest of the bed devote to string or butter beans. You will have left
for these a space of eighty-eight inches, or a little more than seven
feet. The rows of beans must be farther apart than the other vegetables
you have planted. Two feet between the rows is not too much. You will
have space enough for three rows. Measure from your last row of beets
one foot six inches at each side of your bed. Now stretch your line
across your bed at this distance from the beets, then with a hoe make a
furrow close to the line. This furrow should be two inches deep at
least. Much deeper, you see, than the shallow furrows for the smaller
seeds. Having made this furrow, measure two feet from it on each side of