Weedflower

Mr. Moto acquires some bean cuttings and invites Sumiko to help him with his garden. He needs her expertise in farming since he’s inexperienced as a gardener. He agrees to do most of the hard labor in exchange for her advice and gives her a section of dirt where she can plant her flower seeds. Sumiko knows the hot desert sun will kill the bean cuttings unless they cover them with cheesecloth. Mr. Moto places an order for the cheesecloth, and in the meantime, Sumiko uses her sheet to carefully construct individual covers for the plants. After working hard alongside Mr. Moto, Sumiko takes a break with Tak-Tak to bring some ice to Frank in the bean field, but he’s nowhere to be found.

Sumiko has always loved dirt, especially its rich smell. However, the dirt in Poston doesn’t have the right scent. She asks Bull why her stock seeds haven’t sprouted yet, and he tells her that the dirt needs “organic matter” (150). She mixes chicken droppings into the garden soil, and day after day runs to check on her seeds. She’s overjoyed when they finally start sprouting and constructs small domes out of sheet pieces to protect them from bugs.