132 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



nursery area there is a peat bog, and a greater depth of trench 

 was necessary in order to drain it. In such places it is advisable 

 to lay the tiles on boards or battens, so as to prevent them from 

 getting out of position, as they are very apt to sag when placed 

 on the natural mossy bottom without any support. 



Having allowed three months to elapse, so that the ground 

 was sufficiently freed of all surplus moisture by the increasing 

 activity of the drains, a commencement was made with the 

 ploughing of the land. The gradient of the nursery area is 

 not more than i in 15 at any point, and under ordinary 

 conditions ploughing could be done in both north and south 

 directions, but owing to the rough sward of vegetation and the 

 stones that lay underneath the surface much better results 

 were obtained by ploughing only in the downhill direction. 

 The loss of time through this course was amply repaid both 

 then and later on. The mossy portion was trenched. The 

 newly turned over furrows presented a very rough appearance, 

 but the action of the weather from January to May pulverised 

 the clods considerably, though not sufficiently to allow further 

 cross-ploughing to be done. 



Prior to planting potatoes during the first weeli in May, the 

 ground was given a cross-harrowing with chain harrows. 

 To break up rough pasture ground only main-crop varieties of 

 potatoes should be planted, and the "Great Scot" and " Arran 

 Victory" varieties are specially recommended, as they are 

 vigorous in growth and produce a dense canopy of haulm, 

 which facilitates the work of clod-disintegration. 



The potatoes were dibbled in at 14 inches apart and 26 inches 

 between the rows, rather close for ordinary purposes, but close 

 planting is necessary to make good mould for a successful nursery. 

 Weeds were kept down by the use of the hoe, until such time 

 as the potato haulm gained control of the existing undergrowth. 



When the potatoes were lifted during the latter part of 

 October, they were found to have broken up completely the 

 rough clods, reducing the soil to a fibrous mass, and at the 

 same time yielded a splendid crop of tubers. Immediately the 

 ground was cleaned of the potato crop, it was given a good 

 harrowing and grubbing, and all weeds brought to the surface 

 were collected and taken off. The ground was then ploughed 

 to a good depth in an east to west direction. 



The easiest lay-out, whereby the various undulations could 



