8 The Nursery 



have been frozen during the night, and this is detrimental to the 

 plants, owing to the rapidity of the thaw. The more gradual thaw, 

 which takes place on other aspects, is far less dangerous. A 

 southern slope is very good on soils inclined to be cold, but it is 

 objectionable on a soil liable to "burn." Low-lying ground or 

 hollows are also bad, because frost is more severe in such places, 

 owing to the fact that the cold air, being more heavy than hot air, 

 lies stagnant in them. 



As regards the soil, a deep loam is the best ; clay, and peat, 

 and thin gravelly soils are the worst. It must be remembered that 

 it is not advisable to have too fertile a soil for a nursery, if the 

 plants grown in it are destined for the thin soil of an exposed 

 hill-side. It is sometimes argued that a young tree destined for an 

 exposed hill-side, where the soil is poor, will feel the change less if 

 the soil of the nursery resembles that of the hill-side. This, how- 

 ever, is carrying theory to excess. A plant, to do well, must be 

 well nourished with a properly developed root-system, and it must 

 have plenty of root fibre. 



The arrangement of the nursery, if merely a temporary one, 

 requires very little beyond subdivision into rectangular beds. 

 These should be not more than three feet six inches wide, so that 

 they can be weeded without stepping on the bed. They should, of 

 course, be fenced securely from ground game. If the nursery is of 

 a permanent character and of modest size, however, it is essential 

 to have one or more cartways, the construction of which may be 

 left to the discretion of the proprietor. Facilities for watering are 

 also advisable. Shelter, if not already provided, may be secured by 

 privet hedges so placed as to intercept the prevailing winds. 



As to manuring, the direct application of farmyard manure to 

 young trees is not advisable ; still, it is of course necessary to keep 

 the ground in fair manurial condition. 



The whole of the nursery should have a preliminary crop before 

 any trees are planted or sown, and potatoes are suitable for this 

 purpose. In this way the ground is well cultivated and cleaned, and 

 the unexhausted residue is available for the young trees. The best 



