lo May, 1911] 



Propagation of Fruit Trees. 



343 



With properly drained ground, the temperature of the soil is raised 

 in winter, moisture conserved in the summer, and better root conditions 

 and growth brought about. Drainage is a great necessity. The constant 

 trampling over the ground in the winter and spring months, if wet, works 

 the soil into a quagmiry state, which becomes almost unworkable, especially 

 if the spring turns in dry, and the soil is heavy and retentive. Such con- 

 ditions lessen the depth of sweet congenial soil. 



When laying out the nursery, leave headlands wide enough to turn 

 when ploughing or cultivating. If a large area, it is advantageous to have 

 one running through the centre. 



Cultivation. 



Cultivation requires skilled labour — intelligent men used to the work. 

 A slight knock to a growing bud or graft will often be the means of 

 destroving a tree or forming an ill-shaped one. A cnreless hand, when 

 hoeing or weeding among the young seedlings in the beds, may hoe, pull 

 up, or injure them. It is only those engaged in the nursery business who 

 know what damage can be done by the unskilled or careless hand. 

 After the first autumn rains, the soil should be kept continuallv stirred 







6. HORSE CULTIVATION. 



with the cultivator and hot', to destroy the germinating seeds of noxious 

 weeds which foul the stocks and overrun the nunsery, if neglected. It is 

 far easier to destroy weeds in the germinating or young stage, than when 

 they are allowed to grow and stool out. It is the autumn weeds which 

 give trouble in the spring, if allowed to grow, and make a lot of extra 

 work at one of the busiest and most important times in a nursery. 



Care should be exercised, when hoeing along the stocks, that the sides 

 of the hoe blade do not strike and bruise the liark. Deep hoeing should 

 be avoided, or the surface feeding roots will be interfered with. If the 

 stocks or young trees have become foul with weeds, skim them away with 

 a sharp sparle or shovel down one side and close to the stocks, care being 

 taken not to strike or cut the latter, and back the other. Turn the skimmed 



