122 THE NURSERY. 



have no fibrous roots, and are altogether inferior to those 

 on the adjacent dry ground. 



2d. Depth. As a general thing,- the soil of a nursery 

 should be a foot to eighteen inches deep ; but all trees do 

 not require the same depth. Those (such as the pear) 

 whose roots descend more than they spread, require the 

 deepest soil. The best quality of nursery trees are grown 

 on common farming land, twice plowed with the common 

 and subsoil plows, one following the other, as described 

 in the chapter on soils. This gives depth enough for all 

 ordinary purposes. 



3d. Texture. A soil of medium texture, between the 

 heavy and the light, is, on the whole, the most advan- 

 tageous, as being the best adapted to general purposes. 

 A good friable loam,. with a gravelly subsoil, or a mixture 

 of sand, gravel, and clay, that will allow water to pass 

 off freely, will be found suitable for almost any species ; 

 and one great advantage of such a soil is, that it admits 

 of rotation in crops. 



4th. Quality. For the growth of young fruit trees, a 

 soil should be in such a condition as to furnish a sufficient 

 supply of nutriment to insure a vigorous and robust 

 growth ; but it may be too rich, and produce rank wood 

 that will not mature properly, and be unable to withstand 

 the change of climate or soil consequent upon transplant- 

 ing. Where manures are used, they should be well de- 

 composed ; fresh, warm manures excite trees into a very 

 rapid growth, but the wood is watery and feeble. A dry 

 soil, of moderate richness, produces hardy trees ; their 

 wood is firm, the buds plump and close together, and the 

 parts well proportioned. 



5th. Laying out. Where the nursery is of considerable 

 extent, the ground should be laid out and arranged in 

 square or rectangular plots of convenient size, and be in- 

 tersected with walks. One portion should be set apart 

 for the propagation of stocks from layers, another for 



