Jennifer asked, >OK, so here's where I reveal my still-novice status: what is "chitting"? "Chitting" is British English for what is called "scarifying" in American usage. It means breaking the seed coat physically by nicking it with a razor blade or rubbing it gently with sandpaper or a fine rasp so that water can enter the seed and cause it to germinate. This is often recommended for the large, hard seeds of certain legumes. It was funny to see this, because I just opened a package from a publisher with a cover letter that asked me to explain the Britspeak in the book, including this term. Jane McGary