The author who has survived a yearly crop of unripe plums has another vivid memory associated with her schoolroom days in the garden. She will never forget the moment when she saw her own initials _growing_ in her own little plot of ground. There they were, made of Mustard and Cress, as if someone had written them. It is a miracle you can perform for yourself any time from the end of March onwards by drawing the letters you want in the soil with a stick, and sowing your seed in them. You must remember, however, that the Mustard grows quicker than the Cress, and should be sown about three days later. Sow both seeds rather thick, and cover very slightly, or not at all. If it is dry weather water with a fine rose every evening. People often place a mat, or even a newspaper, over the seeds when first sown, as this makes them sprout quicker; but the covering must be removed the moment the seedlings appear. This may happen in twenty-four hours in favourable weather, so you must keep a good lookout. In spring and autumn choose a sunny spot for your Mustard and Cress, but in full summer give a moist and shaded position. Mustard and Cress must be cut the moment it is ready, while the seed leaves are tender, green, and short. If you leave it till it is more than about an inch high, the Mustard is too hot and the Cress is coarse. LETTUCE. Both the Cabbage and the Cos, or Long Lettuce, can be sown out of doors in little patches from March to August. First rake the soil very smooth and fine, and then, if you wish to have a big bed of Lettuces, draw lines an inch deep and a yard long, about ten inches apart. Sow your seed in these little ruts and rake your bed smooth, taking care that the seed is only lightly covered with soil. You will soon see lines of pale-green seedlings, but you will not have a single Lettuce if you don’t keep off slugs. They are so fond of Lettuces that gardeners often plant them as traps amongst Dahlias and other flowers they wish to preserve. The slugs will desert everything else for Lettuces, and can be caught in numbers on and around them at night. So if you have a sluggy garden you must catch all the slugs you can, and also dust your seedlings with soot or wood-ash. The proper time to do this is after sunset, when the leaves are a little damp with dew. When the Lettuces begin to grow up, the slugs will leave them alone, and then the rain will wash away the slight dust of ash or soot from the outside leaves.