176 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



is comparatively dry, does its own watering, but it is some- 

 times necessary in hand setting to water the plants by hand, 

 a slow and tedious process. This should be immediately after 

 the plant is set and again the morning following, care being 

 taken not to wash any dirt into the bud so as to injure the 

 chit. Two or sometimes one watering is sufficient. Immedi- 

 ately after a shower plants can be set without any water. 

 The rows, whether hand or machine set, are marked out the 

 same distance apart. Formerly this was three feet six or eight 

 inches apart, now three feet four inches is deemed sufficient ; 

 but twenty inches in the row is adopted as best. The old 

 way calls for about 6,000 plants per acre, but growers now 

 prefer to set about 7,000. The larger number does not seem 

 to increase the weight, but the quality is finer. 



In taking the plants from the seed bed care should be taken 

 that no diseased or calico plants are saved, if any are manifest, 

 as they never grow out of it at this stage. Calico usually 

 manifests itself a few days after setting, when such plants 

 should be removed and sound ones set in their places. It may 

 be said here that the disease called " calico " is the most dan- 

 gerous one that the plant has to contend with, yet no one 

 knows what causes it, and no one knows of any remedy for it. 

 Plants thus affected are sure to rust, and may as well be 

 removed at once. This disease, developing at the later stage 

 of the growth, does not always spoil the plant, as only the top 

 leaves are affected. It may occur at any time during the 

 period of growth, or it gets in the seed bed. It is less liable 

 to be found among plants taken from an open bed, and is sup- 

 posed to be more likely to show on land that is deficient in 

 potash. It is not known whether it is transmissible or not, 

 through the seed or the soil. Indeed many things indicate 

 that it is not. In support of this theory I would mention known 

 cases where plants have been taken, decidedly calicoed plants, 

 ripened and saved for seed, for experimental purposes, setting 

 a few rows of the plants in an isolated place, but not a plant, 

 either in seed or elsewhere, was affected by calico. I have 

 taken plants from another man's bed, whose field was half 

 ruined by this disease, moved them only across the street, and 

 not had a sign of it. I have stopped setting at night, and com- 

 menced the next day with plants from the same bed. The 

 latter setting was half calico, while there was not one of those 



