...Leave the strongest vines. According to the seedling method, when they first sprout, if the first two or three seedlings appear unhealthy, remove them. Select those from the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions and keep only three seedlings. During times of drought, these must be watered. Dig a small trench four or five inches deep around the entire perimeter of the pit yuanThe "yuan" refers to the deep, manure-filled planting pit described on the previous page.. Fill this trench with water and let it stand so that the moisture can soak in from the sides; you must not pour water directly into the center of the pit. 〇 The Methods of Domestic Governance original: "Jia Zheng Fa," an ancient text on household management states: In the second month, one may

Planting Melons and Gourds

Essential Requirements for the Four Seasons

To plant large bottle gourds, at the beginning of the second month, dig a pit yuan in the ground four or five feet square and of the same depth. Fill the pit with sesame leaves and bean husks same as stalks, as well as rotted straw and other organic matter. Arrange these in layers: one layer of manure-mixed soil followed by one layer of straw. Repeat this process until you have four or five layers. For the final foot or so leading to the surface, fill it with manure-mixed soil. Plant about ten seeds and wait...