23 



bundles of fifty, and the work of cutting off the ends of the roots 

 can be done readily with a sharp knife. Set out if possible on a 

 still day. A cold dry wind is far worse than the mild radiance 

 of an April or May sun. In any case the roots must be kept 

 moist by moss or water till they are in the ground — the roots, 

 not the tops. Many leave their plants in water till the life is 

 soaked out of them. Do not plant when the ground is wet and 

 sticky, unless during or just before a rain. If the sun and wind 

 strike wet ground immediately after it has been stirred it often 

 becomes like hard mortar. In the spring, and especially in 

 summer and fall it is better to set plants soon after the prepara- 

 tion of the soil, before even the surface has time to dry. In the 

 field harrow the land smooth, use a line if possible, or let some 

 one mark out with a plow who is not like a man that once 

 worked for us and planted corn so crooked that the crows could 

 not find it. Let the rows for field culture be three feet apart and 

 the plants stand one foot from each other in the row. At this 

 distance 14,520 will be required for an acre. Spread the roots 

 out as fiir as possible and put them down their full depth but do 

 not cover the crown of the plants. Press the gvovcud firmlf/ around 

 the roots. Millions of plants are lost by loose, careless setting. 



In the garden where the plow will not be used the rows may 

 be two feet apart instead of three and the phxnts one foot apart 

 in the row. Or beds four feet wide can be made with a walk of 

 two feet between them. Put three rows down each bed, plant- 

 ing the first six inches from the walk and the other two rows 

 eighteen inches apart. If plants are scarce or high, they can be 

 set three feet apart in the row and each one permitted to make 

 two new plants which can, be caused to take root in the row .so 

 as to leave each one a foot apart, which I think is the best dis- 

 tance. But to be sure of a good strong bearing bed the following 

 season it is not safe to set the plants less than one foot apart in 

 the row. 



Even in spring, unless the ground is very moist and the time 

 showery, it is well to give the plants a good sprinkling. If it is 

 at all dry and hot, water thoroughly, and after the water has 



