t three feet
wide, with paths between them for the convenience of weeding and
cleaning the young plants. Of course if the planter can obtain really
good plants, the produce of well-selected seed, it will be a great
saving of time and expense to him, but unless the seed be carefully
chosen, I would prefer beginning my own nurseries, and in the
selection of seed would recommend the most perfectly ripe and
spherical nuts. Oval long nuts are to be rejected, particularly any
of a pale color at one end.

The planter having selected his seed, which ought to be put in the
ground within twenty-four hours after being gathered, setting it about
two inches deep in the beds already prepared, and at the distance of
twelve to eighteen inches apart, the whole nursery to be well shaded
both on top and sides, the earth kept moist and clear of weeds, and
well smoked by burning wet grass or weeds in it once a week, to drive
away a very small moth-like insect that is apt to infest young plants,
laying its eggs on the leaf, when they become covered with yellow
spots, and perish if not attended to speedily.

Washing the leaves with a decoction of the Tuba root is the best
remedy I know of, but where only a few plants are affected, if the
spots be numerous, I would prefer to pluck up the plant altogether,
rather than run the risk of the insect becoming more numerous, to the
total destruction of the nursery. The nuts germinate in from a month
to six weeks, and even later, and for many months after germination
the seed is attached to the young plant, and may be removed apparently
as sound as when planted, to the astonishment of the unlearned, who
are not aware of the great disproportion in size between the ovule and
albumen, the former of which is alone necessary to form the plant. The
plant may be kept in nursery with advantage for nearly two years.
Should they grow rapidly, and the interspaces become too small for
them, every second plant had better be removed to a fresh nursery; and
set out at a distance of a couple of feet from each other. When
transplanted, either in this way or for their ultimate position in the
plantation, care should be taken to remove them with a good ball of
earth, secured by the skin of the plantain, which prevents the ball of
earth falling to pieces. The nurseries being established, the ground
cleared and ready, the next proceeding is to lay out and dig holes
about 26 or 30 feet apart, and as the quincunx order has