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plants are grown, until they are of sufficient size to transplant to the 

 plantation. 



The nursery may be formed of seeds, young plants, or slips, as will 

 be seen farther on. 



The following points in relation to the nursery will now be con- 

 sidered : 



A. Advantages of a nursery. 



B. Land suitable for a nursery, and its location. 



C. Seed-plot. 



D. Nursery formed from seeds. 



E. Nursery formed from young plants. 



F. Nursery formed from slips. 



G. Nursery of plants that are for sale. 



H. Nursery in Ceylon. 



Each of these points relating to the nursery will be considered 

 separately. 



A. Advantages of a Nursery. It is advisable that the plants with 

 which it is intended to stock the plantation should be grown in a 

 nursery. The seed might, it is true, be at once sown in the plantation ; 

 but its cultivation would in this case be much more costly, and a con- 

 siderable number of plants could not be so well cared for as when they 

 are planted close together in a small space of ground. 



A nursery of a cuerda will conveniently contain 4000 plants, set at a 

 distance apart to be indicated below, and the weeding of the cuerda 

 would cost fifty cents, supposing a man to employ two days in the 

 work ; or, at the most, a dollar, if four days be spent on it ; while 4000 

 plants in a plantation, at a distance of three yards from furrow to fur- 

 row and two from plant to plant, would occupy at least thirty-eight 

 cuerdas ; and, fixing the weeding of each cuerda at twenty-five cents, the 

 weeding of the 4000 plants would cost $9.50. As the weeding must 

 be frequently repeated, especially while the plant is very young, the 

 economy of the nursery system will be easily understood. 



A nursery is, besides, indispensable to a plantation, not only to 

 form it but also to maintain it, as plants which wither or die have con- 

 stantly to be replaced, and a good supply of healthy plants must be 

 kept on hand for this purpose. 



B. Land Suitable for a Nursery and its Location. To form the 

 nursery, virgin soil should be selected. If there is level ground, this 

 should be preferred. If undulating, ground should be chosen sloping 

 from north to south, with lofty trees to the east, to shade the nursery 

 from the heat of the sun in the early morning hours. 



The ground is prepared beginning with what is here called stub- 

 bing; this consists in cutting down the young trees, bushes, and other 

 vegetation which can be cut with the machete ; the large trees are then 



