NURSERY MANAGEMENT 51 



must be done, it is advisable to lead the drains into a well at 

 the lowest point of the nursery, whence the water can be 

 raised by a pump for use in hot summers. As soon as the 

 land is fenced the whole area should be carefully trenched to 

 a depth of 18 inches to 2 feet, removing all stones and roots 

 and levelling the surface at the same time. If the soil is of 

 fair quality throughout, the top and bottom soil may be mixed 

 while trenching is going on, but if the bottom soil is poor it 

 will be best to leave it underneath, keeping the best soil on the 

 top, as it is not desired to encourage young plants to grow 

 deep roots. The trenching should be done during the summer, 

 leaving the ground rough for the frost to pulverize the soil 

 during winter. It should be dug over again and harrowed in 

 spring and is then ready to be stocked. 



With regard to the necessity for manure, as a general rule 

 all strong manures should be avoided, as the young trees 

 should not be forced. All that is necessary is to use a plenti- 

 ful supply of well-decayed humus or leaf-mould. Well-rotted 

 humus from ditches in the woods should be carted on to the 

 ground and should be dug in at the time of trenching, and this 

 may be repeated in future years whenever a piece of land is 

 vacant. If this is done regularly no other form of manuring 

 will be necessary, though it is as well to give a dressing of lime 

 when putting on the humus, if the soil is deficient in this 

 mineral. A crop of lucerne or other leguminous plant, grown 

 on the area and ploughed or dug in, will enrich the soil con- 

 siderably ; this is often a good way of improving poor sandy 

 soil before it is used as a nursery, if humus is difficult to 

 obtain in large quantities. 



To collect humus a ditch may be dug outside the nursery, 

 and into this all dead leaves and rotting humus from the 

 ditches in the forest may be thrown, together with all weeds 

 from the nursery. These can then be allowed to rot and can 

 easily be thrown over into the nursery when required. Fresh 

 humus must not be mixed with old well-rotted stuff, but 



