50 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



destroy the young roots. Sow the seed, in the autnmn, in drills 

 from twelve to eighteen inches apart. Cover not more than one 

 inch deep with finely pulverized soil, and spread a thin mulch of 

 some light substance to keep the ground moist and prevent the 

 weeds from growing. The seeds will commence coming up early 

 in the spring, and continue to do so for several weeks. Seeds 

 may be planted in the spring, in which case they must have been 

 carefully kept through the winter in a slightly moist condition. 

 This can be done by keeping them in a cool place in boxes of 

 sand just wet enough to keep the seeds from drying. 



The plants should not be allowed to stand closer in the rows 

 than one in about two and one-half inches. Careful attention to 

 them when quite young will save much future labor and insure a 

 better growth. Weeds should not be allowed to shoAv themselves, 

 and the ground should be kept mellow by frequent stirring, and 

 moist by gentle watering, if necessary. 



When the young trees, generally designated as stocks, have 

 attained a diameter at the ground of about three-eighths of an 

 inch — which they should do in one year from planting — they 

 should be transplanted to the nursery. The transplanting may 

 be done in the autumn or in the spring. It is sometimes well 

 and necessary to let stocks remain eighteen months in the seed- 

 bed to attain proper size for planting. Those that do not attain 

 that size in two years, may as well be rejected as worthless. 



THE NURSERY. 



Select for a nursery, ground that has not been previously used 

 for that purpose ; a sandy loam, easily worked, is best. It 

 should be level, or if inclined the inclination should be slight, 

 regular, and southerly. Thorough drainage is indispensable. 

 It should be sheltered from the bleak north and westerly winds 

 of our northern winters by some natural barrier — a hill or a belt 

 of trees. We shall not recommend that the soil be very highly 

 manured, or at least made much richer than the orchards into 

 which the trees are to be finally set, as if it is, the trees, when 

 planted out, are usually checked in their growth and make com- 

 paratively but little progress for two or three years. If you are 

 not prepared to make your orchard rich, do not over-manure 

 your nursery, and what you do put on should be thoroughly 

 mixed with the soil by trenching or plowing at least ten inches 

 ^eep — fifteen would be still better, and the whole sub-soiled fi f 



