Fundamentals of Agriculture and Sericulture, Volume 3

If you desire the fruits to be exceptionally large—such that a plant originally holding one dou douA dry measure of volume; in the Han dynasty, this was approximately 2 liters. can yield one shi shiA unit of volume equal to ten dou, or roughly 20 liters., and one shi can yield ten—follow this method.

First, dig a pit in the ground, making it three feet square and three feet deep. Use silkworm droppings mixed with soil in equal parts if silkworm droppings are unavailable fresh cow manure may also be used. Place this mixture into the pit and stomp on it firmly with your feet. Drench it with water and wait until the water has completely soaked in. Then, plant ten gourd seeds. Cover them with the previously mentioned manure-soil mixture.

Once the seedlings have grown to a height of over two feet, gather the ten stems together into a single bundle. Wrap them with cloth for a length of about five inches, and then smear the wrapping with mud. Within just a few days, the stems will fuse together to become a single, thick vine.

Retain the strongest vines to lead out and bear fruit, and pinch off all the others. Any side-shoots that grow beyond the fruit-bearing vine should also be pinched off; do not allow the plant to spread excessively. ○ Leave...