44 THE NURSERY. [JAN. 



be naturally good ; but if these people had a large extent of poor 

 gravelly soil, or stiff clay, to plant with forest or ornamental trees, 

 live hedges, Sec. would they seek out a similar spot for a nursery, 

 to raise plants for planting the same ? If so, they would discover 

 their mistake when too late. This is the error I wish to correct, 

 being very desirous, that every attempt towards this kind of im- 

 provement, should prove successful ; and in order to effect this, it 

 is necessary to set out on right principles. 



It is very wrong to enrich nurseries with dung, particularly un- 

 til it is very old, and almost turned into earth ; although many 

 eminent nurserymen, dung their ground very plentifully, yet, they 

 do it with great judgement, and never plant trees until it is well 

 rooted, and mixed with the mould, so as to be quite incorporated, 

 and generally take a crop or two of vegetables, before they plant 

 trees therein. 



It is not absolutely necessary that the soil should be exceedingly 

 rich, nor over carefully manured : a medium between the two ex- 

 tremes is best ; such as any good substantial garden-ground ; or 

 good mellow pasture land, having the sward trenched to the bot- 

 tom, will do very well for the growth of trees. 



As to situation, it ought to be somewhat low, but dry, fully ex- 

 posed to the sun, and free air, and if possible where there is the 

 convenience of water, for the occasional watering of young seed- 

 lings, and newly transplanted trees, &c. 



As to a small nursery for private use, it may be formed out of 

 part of the kitchen-garden, if large enough, or some other conve- 

 nient place ; or it may be made somewhere convenient to the plea- 

 sure-ground, if any ; and so contrived, as to lead insensibly into it, 

 by winding walks, so as to appear, to be a part of the same. 



Fences, Preparing, and Laying-out the Ground. 



A fence round the whole ground is necessary : this may either 

 be a hedge and ditch, or a paling ; the former is the cheapest, and 

 in the end the most durable ; though in some places where rabbits 

 abound, paling fences at first are eligible, for preserving the nur- 

 sery from the depredations of those animals which often do great 

 mischief to the young plants, by barking and cropping them : a 

 good hedge-and-ditch fence, however, may be made very effectual 

 against the inroads of both men and brutes ; and the most eligible 

 plant for this purpose is the haw-thorn ; but a paling, or other 

 similar close fence, either in general or part, would be extremely 

 useful, against which to train young wall-trees to a proper growth 

 for garden or espalier plantations. 



The ground must then be all regularly trenched one or two 

 spades deep, according as the natural depth of the soil will admit, 

 for by no means dig deeper than the natural good soil, being either 

 one spade, one and a halt, or two spades deep. 



Then, having trenched the ground, proceed to divide it by walks 

 into quarters, and other compartments ; a principal walk should 

 lead directly through the middle or some principal part of the 



