130 



DESCRIPTION OF AN INSTRUMENT, ETC. 



I find it is less trouble to sow the seeds of many sorts singly, than 

 to scatter them in, and afterwards to thin them out. I conceive that 

 it is bad in principle to thin them out, because the rootlets and 

 spongiolets must be greatly injured by the operation. But by sowing 

 singly the plant remains undisturbed, and the rootlets and spongiolets 

 get fully established in the soil, and by my mode of transplanting, 

 the roots and soil are removed entire. 



I sow my seeds by means of a frame made of mahogany ; for a 48 

 sized pot, I use one 4i inches in diameter, in the centre of which 

 there is a conical peg a quarter of an inch diameter, and the same in 

 height, and on the circumference of a circle 2f inches diameter, 

 are six others. When the soil is levelled at the surface, the frame 

 is pressed down upon it, and on removing it, seven holes will be 

 made If inches apart, into each of these I put a sound seed ; six out 

 of the seven (frequently the whole) will vegetate, if properly man- 

 aged after sowing, and all may be successfully transplanted by means 

 of the transplanting instrument. One inch and three eights is a 

 very convenient space for seedlings to grow in, it leaves just room 

 enough for the instrument, li inch diameter, to pass betwixt them. 

 A transplanter a little larger, say about two inches diameter, would 

 be exceedingly useful in removing cuttings of plants which have 

 taken root. In fact an instrument on this principle might be made 

 strong enough to remove a tree of ten years' growth, with as much ease 

 as a loose block of stone. The drawing (Fig. 16.) is half the full size. 



16 



' 



> 



/ 



i, 



a. Is one of the halves; b. the two halves together ; c. the cross 

 arm ; d. the top of the cylinder ; e. the bottom of ditto. 



