Agricultural Treatise, Volume 5

Page 3

Immediately gather and collect [the snow] and place it in a shaded spot. Determine the amount based on the size of the land. In the first month, once the ground has thawed, plow the field. Spread the [snow-enriched soil] across the plot at a rate of one square bu buA traditional unit of length representing a double-pace, approximately 1.5 meters. per application of manure, then plow the soil once more to cover it.

The plants will grow lushly and ripen early. Although this method does not quite match the results of "pit-planting" quzhongThe intensive deep-pit method described on the previous page., it is still far superior to common melon farming.

If ants appear, take cattle or sheep bones that still contain marrow and place them to the left and right of the melon plant clusters. Wait for the ants to swarm the bones, then discard them. If you discard the bones two or three times, the ants will be gone.

Cui Shi An influential agricultural writer of the Eastern Han dynasty (c. 103–170 AD). says: During the sacrificial rites of the La festival A major year-end festival held in the twelfth lunar month to honor gods and ancestors. in the twelfth month, take charred reeds the pronunciation of 'reed' here is suo-jia and place them at the four corners of the melon field to drive away mao insects. The pronunciation is hu-lan; insects that grow inside melons are specifically called mao.

The Longyu Hetu An ancient esoteric text, the "Chart of Dragon and Fish," which contains various folk beliefs and omens. states: A melon with two "noses" likely referring to a malformation where a melon appears to have two stems or blossom ends will kill a person.

Yellow Cucumber Also known as the Hu melon
Plant these in the middle of the fourth month. It is best to set up wooden stakes or brushwood to encourage the vines to climb upward.