experiments, misCroscopical examinations and dissections were 

 constantly made, but no germs of disease, no microbes could be 

 found. The young plants upon reaching the heighth of three 

 inches and sometimes sooner, would simply wilt, turn black, and 

 drop. It was therefore demonstrated that neither starvation of 

 the soil nor the development of microbes was the cause of fail- 

 ure! 



A third series of experiments was then undertaken to show 

 that the old straw of flax was the cause of the trouble. In 

 fact, the debris of the old crop acted as a poison to the succeeding 

 flax crop. It has long been known in Europe that flax is a plant 

 "unkind to its own relations." By "unkind" is meant that hith- 

 erto for some unknown reason, flax will not succeed flax. The 

 reason, however, remained a mystery until Mr. Lugger made these 

 experiments, demonstrating the real cause of this peculiarity. 

 Sixteen plots of uniform size were selected upon good land, upon 

 which flax had never been grown, these plots were arranged in a 

 double row like a checkerboard, so that each plot treated by two 

 plots not treated. The ground was well cultivated and seeded 

 and between plots there was a path three feet wide. 



Plot 1. — Was covered with sixty pounds of dry, healthy 

 chaff of flax. This chaff was partly worked under 

 the soil. 



Plot 1. — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



Plot 2. — Was moistened with an extract made by soaking 

 sixty pounds of old healthy flax chaff in cold water. 



Plot 2. — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



Plot 3. — Was moistened with an extract made by soaking 

 sixty pounds of old healthy flax chaff in boiling wa- 

 ter. 



Plot 3 — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



Plot 4. — Was moistened with an extract made by soaking one 

 hundred and twenty pounds of healthy green flax in 

 boiling water. 



Plot 4 — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



Plot 5. — Was moistened with an extract made by soaking 

 fifteen pounds of diseased fresh flax in boiling water. 

 Plot 5. — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



Plot 6. — Wasmoistened with an extract made by soaking 

 fifteen pounds of diseased fresh flax in cold water. 



Plot 6. — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



Plot 7. — Was covered with sixty pounds dry diseased chaff 

 of flax. This chaff was partly worked under the soil. 



Plot 7. — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



Plot 8. — Was covered with 120 pounds of green straw of 

 flax, healthy plants of flax cut into small pieces. 



Plot 8. — (A) Contained nothing but seed. 



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