NURSING. 61 



bleak top of a mountain, or in a fertile vale, 

 with equal expectation of seeing it rise a 

 goodly plant ? Shall we plant a mere infant 

 with like expectation ? Or, shall we rather 

 expect, that by sowing or planting in a me- 

 dium soil and situation, there is greater pro- 

 bability of success ? Inasmuch as I consider 

 the chief property of a young plant intended 

 for after-removal, to depend on strength and 

 cleanness of root, and a multiplicity of 

 healthy fibrils, I answer without hesitation, 

 yes; and therefore define the most proper 

 soil and situation of a nursery for the purpose 

 in view,* thus : 



A loam of a middling texture, rather in- 

 clining to sand, neither rich nor poor ; from 

 eighteen to twenty-four inches in depth ; ly- 

 ing on a free, porous sub-stratum, This will 

 be found more generally congenial to the na- 

 ture of the different forest trees than any 

 other soil. But there is no general rule with- 

 out exception. If there be a diversity of 



*The reader is requested to observe, that I neither treat 

 of sowing seeds, nor propagating by layers, cuttings, &c. 

 for reasons above mentioned. I only wish to treat of 

 nursing seedling plants, until fit for final transplanta- 

 tion, 



