THE NURSERY LIST. 117 



bed or mild forcing-house. Change the water on the seeds 

 every day, and at the end of a week or ten days mix with 

 sand and place in a thin layer in the hot-bed. Stir frequently 

 to prevent molding. When the seeds begin to sprout, sow 

 them in the open ground. This operation, which is some- 

 times called pipping, may be performed in a small way by 

 the kitchen stove. Seeds are sometimes "pipped " between 

 moist blankets. (See also page 17.) 



When sowing is done in the fall, the seeds may be sown in 

 the pomace. This entails extra labor in sowing, but it saves 

 the labor of washing. This practice gives good results if 

 the pomace is finely broken, and it is now common among 

 nurserymen. 



In loose and well-drained soils, sowing is undoubtedly best 

 performed in the fall, just as early as the seeds are ready. 

 But upon land which holds much water, and which heaves 

 with frost or contains much clay, spring sowing is preferable. 

 In spring, the seeds should be sown just as soon as the ground 

 can be worked. 



If the stocks are to be cultivated with a horse, the rows 

 should be three or three and a half feet apart. Some grow- 

 ers sow in narrow drills and some in broad ones. The broad 

 drills are usually six to ten inches wide. The earth is 

 removed to the depth of two or three inches, if it is loose and 

 in good condition, the seed is scattered thinly on the surface 

 and the earth hoed back over them. If the ground is likely 

 to bake, the seeds should not be sown so deep ; and it is 

 always well, in such cases, to apply some very light and 

 clean mulch. The plants should be well cultivated during 

 the season, and they should attain a height of six to twelve 

 inches or more the first year. If the plants come thickly, 

 they must be thinned out. 



In the fall of the first year the seedlings should be large 

 enough to be dug and sold to general nurserymen. Some- 

 times the poorest plants are allowed to stand another year, 

 but they are usually so scattering that they do not pay for the 

 use of the land, and they should be transplanted the same 

 as the larger stock, or the weakest ones may be thrown away. 

 The stocks are dug with a plow or tree-digger and heeled-in 

 closely, so that the leaves "sweat " and fall off. The plants 

 are then stored in sand, moss or sawdust in a cellar. Before 

 they are shipped the tops are cut off near the crown, usually 

 with a hatchet on a block. The stocks are then graded into 

 budding and grafting sizes. The general nurserymen buy 

 these stocks in fall or early winter. Those which are root- 

 grafted are worked during late winter, but those intended for 



