286 THE NURSERY. [MARCH 



meshed fishing-nets, to keep off the birds, for all the kinds, when 

 lightly covered, which is indispensable to their growth, generally 

 carry up the seeds on their tops, and if attacked by birds, which are 

 extremely fond of them, the far greater number will be destroyed. 



The beds must be kept completely free from weeds of any kind, 

 from the moment the seeds are sown during the continuance of the 

 plants therein ; and if you perceive their leaves turn foxy in sum- 

 mer, by heat or drought, it will be necessary to give them occasional 

 shade and water. In the month of June following, sift some fine, 

 light, rich earth over the beds, so as to just come up to the foliage 

 without covering it, which will protect their yet tender stems, pre- 

 vent their being scalded by extraordinary heat, which often melts 

 them away, so as to fall flat, whilst the foliage appears fresh ; and 

 besides, it will help to retain the moisture about their roots and 

 fibres. 



The spring following, early in April, or as soon as you perceive an 

 inclination in the buds to push, pull up the largest grown plants, of 

 such kinds as have arrived at the height of three inches or upwards, 

 but not otherwise, and plant them in drills made with a hoe or spade 

 for their reception, eighteen inches or two feet asunder, and eight 

 inches plant from plant in the rows, just so deep as that the earth 

 may come up to their foliage ; close it well about the roots, and water 

 them occasionally till sufficiently taken with the earth and growing 

 freely, and if repeated occasionally during the summer and early au- 

 tumn, the better ; always giving it about the setting or going down 

 of the sun. The spring following, that is, when they have two years' 

 growth in the seed-beds, take them all up out of the face with a spade 

 without injuring the roots or fibres, and plant them as above, with- 

 out attempting to trim them, but laying them in a spreading and 

 horizontal manner in the drills. If the ground is good and the sea- 

 son proves favorable, a great number of the larch in particular will 

 have grown to a sufficient size for transplanting into nursery rows by 

 the ensuing spring. 



When the plants have stood two or three years in these rows, they 

 may be planted in others at greater distances, or finally where they 

 are intended to remain ; observing, however, that the fourth or fifth 

 year of their growth is the most successful period for a final trans- 

 planting, which ought always to be done, in the middle States, be- 

 tween the first and fifteenth of April, earlier in the southern, and not 

 much later in the eastern States. 



ALTHAEA FRUTEX, LABURNUM, AND SNOWY MEDLAR. 



The Hibiscus syriacus, or althaea frutex, is propagated by sowing 

 the seeds in March, which grow very freely; all the varieties of it 

 take well by grafting or budding on one another. 



The Cytissus laburnum, or common laburnum, grows freely by 

 sowing the seed in spring, and covering it as well as the former, about 

 half an inch deep. 



The Mespilus canadensis, or snowy medlar, is a beautiful and early 

 flowering shrub, rises to a good height, and is a great ornament to 



