PKOPAGATION IN THE NURSERY. 53 



the cones is to render them brittle, preparatory to 

 being thrashed. When dry they should be removed 

 from the kiln in a warm state, and laid about six 

 inches deep on a floor formed of a fine stone causeway, 

 where they should be thrashed to pieces with flails." 



After thrashincf, the seeds should be dressed with a 

 common barn fanner, which prepares them for being 

 sown. The price of seed is generally from 2s. to 3 s. 

 per lb., and the expense of manufacturing seldom 

 exceeds 6d. per lb. It should be sown about the end 

 of April, if the weather be suitable, but better a fort- 

 night later than not have the ground in proper order. 

 The late Mr. Cameron, Uckfield Nursery, Sussex, laid 

 it down as a rule rather to wait three weeks past the 

 regular time of sowing than put the seed into ground 

 in an unfit state for receiving it. 



The best condition of soil is that which has borne 

 a crop the previous year, and been well manured as 

 for tares, beans, pease, &c. Fine hazel or sandy 

 loam (but not clay) is best adapted for seed. The seed 

 should be steeped in water before sowing, and should 

 be dusted over with red lead, so as to give the seed a 

 slight coating of it. This prevents the birds from 

 eating it, which they are very liable to do, as it comes 

 up on the top of the plant like the leek or onion, and 

 the lead does no harm either to seed or plants. 



The beds should be four feet wide, with an alley be- 

 tween them of fifteen inches. In sowing, i -lb. weight 

 should sow four lineal yards of the bed, and should 

 produce about 14,000 to i 5,000 plants, and if the crop 



