EAISING THE PLANTS 85 



be sown, so that the seedlings will occupy 1 yard of the 



width. 



If 1 pound of Scots Pine seed is sown in drills 6 inches 

 apart, and 49.000 seedlings are expected, or say 50,000, 

 a bed about 20 yards long ^^^ll be needed. Corsican and 

 Austrian Pine and Silver Fir require rather more space 

 than this. 



For hardwoods one square yard per 1,000 plants expected 

 should be allowed ; the thinner the seed is sown, the greater 

 the number of plants there will be fit to transfer to the 

 nursery line. 



The beds should be divided by paths about 18 inches 

 wide, so that the weeders may kneel comfortably without 

 sticking their toes into the adjoining bed. 



Making the Beds. 



The site of the beds should be on ground that has been 

 manured and green-cropped during the previous year. It 

 is a mistake to manure the beds just before sowing the 

 seed, as it tends to force the growth of the seedlings and 

 make them weakly and drawn up. WeU- decayed leaf soil 

 may be added, to serve both as a source of plant food and 

 to prevent the soil from caking. 



This should be dug in during the autumn after the 

 green crop has been taken off. The digging should be 

 left rough, so that as much of the soil as possible may be 

 exposed to the action of frost. 



A day or so before the seeds are to be sown, the beds 

 should be marked off and again well dug, care being taken 

 to pulverize any lumps and to remove as many stones as 



