Propagation of the Trees. 305 



remain in the nursery row, the most certain way to avoid vacancies 

 or failures, is to sprout them before planting. This is effected by 

 mixing the kernels with sand and leaf-mould, and spreading them in 

 a thin bed in the sun. When sprouted, a line or cord, permanently 

 marked at equal distances of eight inches with a touch of paint, is 

 stretched on the ground, and a sprouted kernel carefully inserted at 

 every mark of the line, by means of a transplanting trowel. This 

 insures great regularity in the rows. Accidental vacancies may be 

 filled from a seed bed when the plants are not more than two inches 

 high. To prevent drying, the sprouted seeds should be kept 

 covered with a flake of wet moss or a wet cloth, until deposited in 

 the ground ; and if the weather be dry, watering the ground may be 

 requisite. 



By planting the stones without cracking, a very small portion will 

 grow, and no regularity can be attained in the rows, unless the fol- 

 lowing mode is adopted, which, if the stones can be had fresh from 

 the fruit before drying many days, and in large quantities, is perhaps 

 the cheapest or attended with least labor. Mix the fresh stones 

 with moist sand, spread them in a stratum about six inches thick 

 over the ground, and cover them with a few inches of old straw or 

 coarse manure, to prevent drying. Remove this covering in winter, 

 to expose them freely to freezing and thawing. In spring, a large 

 portion will be found sprouting; carefully select these and plant 

 them immediately in drills made with the hoe, covering them by 

 drawing on earth with the hand. One man will thus plant four or 

 five thousand in a day. In a few days a second portion will be 

 found sprouted, which plant as before ; and so on, so long as the 

 process continues. Those which do not open (often not more than 

 one-third of the whole), will grow another year if kept moist and 

 exposed. 



If the soil is good, and the cultivator is passed between the rows 

 as often as once a fortnight oftener is better the trees will be 

 large enough to bud by the close of summer. 



In cases where the ground cannot be prepared early for their 

 reception, germination may be retarded by burying the uncracked 

 stones a foot or two beneath the surface, till wanted. 



The distances of the rows asunder should be about the same as 

 for apples and other trees in the nursery, or about three and a half 

 feet. 



Plum-stocks for the peach slightly lessen their luxuriance of 

 growth, render the trees smaller, thus slightly increasing their hardi- 

 ness for the extreme north by favoring an early maturity of the 



