N UR 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



NUR 



177 



variety of circumstances; and a seasonable thinning often 

 becomes necessary. The general rule for this is to thin as 

 soon as the tops or roots interfere. In taking up trees or 

 shrubs for the purpose of planting them out where they are 

 to stand, every root and fibre ought as much as possible to 

 be preserved ; and therefore no violence should be used in 

 this operation. The best way is to dig a trench close by 

 the side of the plant, and having undermined the roots, to 

 let it fall of itself, or with a very little assistance, into the 

 trench: if any roots still have hold, cut them off with a sharp 

 instrument, so as to jar the main root as little as possible. 

 If the root was properly pruned before planting, it will now 

 turn out a globular bundle of earth and fibres. When the 

 nursery lies at a distance from the plantations, much depends 

 upon packing the plants judiciously. Valuable plants are 

 sent in pots or baskets ; straw however is used in general, 

 and will sufficiently protect them from frost and drought, 

 especially if, for the latter purpose, the straw be occasionally 

 moistened with water. Moss is the most effectual article for 

 keeping the roots moist and supple when removed to a great 

 distance. 



Having given the opinions of the above able horticulturists, 

 we shall proceed to detail the remarks of other eminent 

 authors, upon this important subject: Mr. Boutcher states, 

 that it is an almost universally received opinion, that trees 

 ought to be raised in the nursery on a poorer soil than that 

 to which they are afterwards to be transported for good ; and 

 it has been directed by many of the most respectable authors ; 

 he himself adhered to it in early life, and it is so seemingly 

 consistent with nature, that he is not surprised that it has 

 been generally followed by young planters; at the same time 



degree of luxuriance, if it be planted in one that is better ; 

 whereas a plant that has been nursed in a fertilg soil, and has 

 been rushed up to a great size, like an animal that has been 

 pampered with high feeding, and swelled up with fat, will 

 languish and pine away, if transplanted to a more indifferent 

 soil. But it would be no difficult matter to shew the fallacy 

 of this mode of reasoning, and to point out many errors whicn 

 have crept into almost all sciences, from pursuing such fanci- 

 ful analogies between objects so dissimilar as those men- 

 tioned in this example. But as this would be a digression, 

 it may just be noticed, that it could seldom be attended with 

 worse consequences than in the present case, as it leads to a 

 conclusion directly the reverse of what is warranted by ex- 

 perience; for it has been found from reiterated experiments, 

 that a strong and vigorous plant, that has grown up quickly, 

 and arrived at a considerable magnitude in a very short time, 

 never fails to grow better after transplanting, than another of 

 the same size that is older and more stinted in its growth, 

 whether the soil in which they are planted be rich or poor : 

 so that instead of recommending a poor hungry soil for a 

 nursery, it would perhaps be the best in all cases to set apart 

 for this purpose the richest and most fertile spot that could 

 be found ; and in the choice of plants, always to prefer the 

 youngest and most healthy, to such as are older, if of an equal 

 size : this is given as the result of much experience in this 

 business. And this practical planter suggests, that so much 

 has been said concerning the question, whether a nursery 

 should be on a soil and in a situation corresponding to those 

 on which the trees are ultimately to be placed, that he should 

 deem it unpardonable to dismiss the subject in silence. He 



that he cannot account for those who have had long practice, 

 and much experience, not exposing the fallacies of that system. 

 He adds, that he has given some examples, from frequently 

 repeated experiments, of the ill effects he has felt by-planting 

 young and tender seedlings on the poorest soils, and the 

 greater success attending those that are well grown on the 

 same or in similar situations. The consequences of raising 

 plants on poor hungry land are no less fatal than planting 

 seedlings in such soils, and should be avoided as much as 

 possible. In the culture of many trees, it is necessary to 

 promote their vigorous growth at first, that they may after- 

 wards become stately and handsome, which can only be 

 effected by their being early nursed in a generous soil; if 

 they are but barely supported from infancy on meagre ground, 

 they will never afterwards become strong, though removed 

 to that which is rich in feeding. He has sown the seeds of 

 forest trees on the poorest ground, planted seedlings and 

 strong well-nursed trees from five to ten feet high, on the 

 same ground and at the same time ; where the old well culti- 

 vated plants have frequently made good trees, when the seed- 

 lings have perished, and, from the sterility and coldness of the 

 soil, the seeds have not so much as vegetated. In short, the 

 roots of seedlings are not so well fitted as larger plants, to 

 draw sufficient nourishment from crude, rank, and unculti- 

 vated soils ; and as he has truly found what he has here said 

 in many instances to be the case, it compels him to believe 

 that the general practice of planting seedlings in poor, and 

 large trees in good land, should be quite reversed. It has 

 also been stated by others, that almost all writers on agricul- 

 ture advise the farmer to be very careful to make choice of 

 such plants only as have been raised in a nursery of poor 

 oil, and always to reject such as have been reared in a richer 

 soil than that in which he has to plant them ; because a plant 

 which has been reared in a barren soil, has been inured from 

 its infancy to live hardily, and will advance with a great 



briefly delivers his own opinion, so that the reader may apply 

 orrejectwhatagrees with, or is opposed to his. Mr. Boutcher's 

 first remark is, that experience had taught him that it is only 

 for an extensive scale of planting, that the nursery can be had 

 recourse to ; in other cases, it is no saving for a gentleman to rear 

 a nursery. He confines himself to the nursing of seedlings only 

 on the same principle; and from indisputable proofs, demon- 

 strated both by himself and others, who have had much expe- 

 rience, and made impartial trialshowfaritmightbetoagentle- 

 man's advantage to rear his own nursery from seed ; and they 

 have all found it unprofitable, and attended with considerable 

 perplexity; which is not at all surprising, when we reflect on 

 the multiplicity of business at that season most critical for 

 ensuring success in this branch. If the soil and situation 

 whereon the trees are ultimately to remain be good, or nearly 

 resemble that which we are about to describe ; then, if all 

 other circumstances concur, he conceives the trees ought to 

 be nursed on the spot; but for no other reason, than that it 

 is less expensive to carry to a distance seedling, than trans- 

 planted trees. But if the soil whereon the trees are to be 

 planted be bad, or essentially different from that we are about 

 to describe, and if the situation be bleak, and exposed to 

 violent winds, then he should conceive the attempt to rear 

 nursery plants, clean, healthy, and well-rooted, opposed to 

 common sense After stating that great care and attention 

 are necessary in rearing young plants; and that some are 

 raised with more difficulty than others; it is asked, Are the 

 Ash, the Beech, the Birch, the Elm, the Larch, And the Oak, 

 reared in infancy with equal ease? Do they not, if properly 

 treated, all equally flourish afterwards, on the mountain and 

 in the vale, where soil is hardly found, and where it is found 

 in abundance? Do we sow 'seed in sand, gravel, clay, the 

 crevice of a rock, on the bleak top of a mountain, or .in a 

 fertile vale with equal expectation of seeing it rise a good 



plant? 5ot*. That which Mr. Nichol supposes to be Ix-st 



suited for this purpose, is a loam of a middling texture, rather 



