March 2, 1891,] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 645 
rapidly and arrive to maturity earlier ; on the other 
hand they should not exceed 25 or 26 inches iu 
height, for these reasons, that they are more pro- 
ductive, being' quicker iu giving suckers or shoots and 
a great number of them at the same time growing 
with mere vigor. 
If the field ha not ready at the time of receiving 
the plants, the cultivator must immediate'y establish 
a nursery for them, which consists in getting a piece of 
soft land or digging up for the purpose and securing 
it with a fence; this place must be free of all shade, 
as this would injure serionsly the plant which 
requires all the exposure to the sun. 
In aetting the plants it is precisely necesfary that 
their main roots remain on them es being for trans- 
portation ; they will by this retain their verdure for 
a long time. In the nursery they must be planted at 
the distance of 18 inches apart, which makes about 
nineteen thousand suckers to the acre, and in the 
following manner : first take off tho dry leaves, then 
cut the main roots clean off and p*re as closely to 
tho trunks as possibly all round without injuring 
them, nor so deep as to allow the leaves to fall off ; 
after this place them in the ground perpendicularly, 
putting in and covering only the inferior parts of the 
trunks dirt; all this care and attention in their in- 
fancy is the way of having quick returns, and although 
they be not yet planted in the field still they merit 
this attention which will amply repay the planter, 
as they lose no time in developing while in the nur- 
sery, which is an advancemeut in their growth and 
when transplanted in the field become ripe sooner, 
whereas if thoughtlessly cast aside to await field plant- 
ing will naturally be very much kept back. 
Field Planting . — The idea of taking advaritage of the 
land iu setting out a great number of plauts has been 
carried in some cases to such an extent in Yucatan as 
to be prejudicial not alone in the plants not develop- 
ing fully but for the material difliculty which is 
presented in the culture and exploration of them when 
they are grown up, a> the leaves of one plant meet- 
ing those of another stop with their sharp p.Iuts the 
passage between them, preventing easy approach to 
the trunks, a thing absolutely necessary for cleaning 
the field and removing the shoots destined to the 
reproduction. 
The general system now in planting is 12 by 6, re., 
tho rows twelve feet wide and the plants six feet apart 
in the rows which leaves clear passages ot 12 feet 
between the rows, thereby giving sufficieut room with 
facility for the inspeclion of them and for the pastur- 
age of cat'le and horsekind, and spaces of 6 feet 
between the plants which permit the easy approach 
to the trunks for weeding and getting out the shoots 
that spring at foot of plant ; experience has proved 
this the best mode of planting ; it also allows the free 
peuatration of the heat of the sun whose effects on the 
pl»nt are wonderful. The above distances give six 
hundred and five (605) plauts to the acre. Now, 
alter l aving the field perfectly clean and ready, open 
the holes for the reception of the plants by first 
stretching a line with the distances marked off, or it 
may be pegged out as the cultivator like.', so that it 
be straight and regular, which must give it a fine view. 
The holei to be made can be dug with a hoe or 
common digger, aud must be about as large enough to 
receive only the lower parts of the trunks of the 
plauts which should he put iu a perpendicular manner 
aud the dirt drawn srouud, leaving exposed as much 
ot the trunks possible which accelerates their growth. 
Tho plant must, however, after being taken from the 
nursery and prior to setting out iu the field be pared 
off end, if found necessary, whmh will be in the case 
of iiiy roots sprigging out during its stay in the 
imraery, must be cut off. It ought to bo treated in 
exactly the same maimer as when it w'aa being planted 
in nursery, wliich is alri ady explained ; it is woi.detful 
to know tho idvautage it gains by this treatment ; it 
is uot too much when 1 say it puts ou a year’s growth 
to what it would hive otheiwise. 
As the spaces above would not be sufficiently wide 
for tho carts to go into without injuriug tho leaves, it 
is therefore uecesaary to have wider ones or intervals 
ai 
where they may take up to carry to the machine the 
leaves which are put at those intervals by the cutters ; 
tho intervftl.s ought to be wide enough to admit of two 
carts passing each other freely. For ease to the cutter, 
as well as convenience aud economy to the planter, I 
suggest a plan of laying out u field of say 31J chains 
square, as the following figure shows : — 
A R 0 D 
The field is divided into three sections, each of 
which measures lOJ chains, and is represented ae 
follows : — 
A to B first section, B to C second section, 0 to D 
third section; in the middle of each runs an interval 
of proper v/idtli having a depth on either side witliin 
each section of about five chains. The short lines 
drawn across iudica’.e the rows of hemp between which 
the cutter works, aud therefore has — while cutting 
iu any section — a distance of not more than five chains 
to cairy the leaves to tho interval, where the cart gets 
loaded. Bach section has its boundary line as is shown 
from B to B. 
It will be found, if this plan is adopted, how mneh 
tho carriage of leaves is lacilitated, being' done quickly 
to the great interest of the cultivator. 
Cosl of glaring roots and planting suckers in the field . — 
They are pared at the rate of one penny half-penny per 
100, by which a boy or woman can earn a shilling to 
one shilling and threepence irer day, as one person will 
jrare easily 1,000 plants for the day. 
It is worth about four shillings aud sixpence per 
acre (605 plants) or ninepence per 100 to line out, dig 
holes, drop suckers and plant. Oue man and a boy 
can p'aut at least 300 suckers acre) per day which 
will give them two shillings and threepence, the boy 
to assist stretohiug the line and to drop the plants, one 
to each hole. 
If the suckers are planted iu the correct manner 
there will hardly be any supplying required. I have 
seen thousands planted, have planted them myself 
without oue failing ; more than this, I will at any 
time guarantee to plant five hundred thousand suokers 
without the loss of a single one. 
Chapter Y. 
After Oultuhe, Other Plants in Field, Pole. 
The after culture consists first iu attending to the 
plauts in the field and keeping them free from weed. 
The number of times a field ought to be cleaned iu 
a year cunnot be determined ; if the planter wishes 
to oblaiii all the results possible he should stick to 
the rule that “ the field be constantly kept in a state 
of cleanness ; ” it is not altogether requisite to 
clean the field when the weeds are below the level 
of the plants, »s at that height they do little or no 
harm, bnt they should never be allowed to bo ou the 
same height or reach above them. The plant is 
never moulded in Yucatan ; it is considered there that 
ploughing and moulding (where admissible) would 
prevent it generating as it ought. In my experienco 
I know as a fact that the less soft the earth the sooner 
it produces shoots. 
