Fundamentals of Agriculture and Sericulture, Volume 3

The bottom of the vegetable bed pit must be made level and even. Tread upon it with your feet to ensure it retains its moisture. Using ten melon seeds and ten soybeans each, spread them evenly throughout the pit. The melon seeds and the soybeans are paired together. Cover them with five sheng shengA traditional volume unit; during the period this text was compiled, one sheng was roughly 0.2 liters. of manure. Ensure the manure is also spread evenly. Furthermore, the soybeans are used specifically to help the melon sprouts lift the soil as they grow.

Scatter one dou douA unit of volume; 10 sheng make 1 dou. of soil thinly over the manure, then tread lightly upon it once more with your feet. During the winter months, whenever there is heavy snow, quickly combine your strength to push the snow into the pits to form large mounds.

When the spring grasses emerge, the melons will also sprout. Their stems and leaves will be lush and thick, far surpassing ordinary plants. Furthermore, the soil will remain constantly moist; even a drought will cause them no harm. By the fifth month mid-summer, the melons will be ripe. Specifically, the method for hoeing the melons is the same as the common practice. However, if all the melon seeds sprout, they will be too crowded jiA term for overcrowded or overly dense planting.. One should pinch the excess plants off; four plants per pit is sufficient.

〇 Another Method
In winter, place several melon seeds inside warm cow dung and allow them to freeze...