THE HOME NUKSERY. 



the estate. The situation should neither be too much 

 exposed nor yet too sheltered, and should have a southern 

 or western aspect ; for, although too sudden a change from 

 sheltered to exposed ground often proves fatal to young 

 trees, this should not altogether form a criterion for rearing 

 them in situations unfavourable to the development of 

 strong, healthy plants. The soil should be good, friable 

 loam, on an open, porous subsoil ; but the quality of ground 

 required for different seedlings is so diversified that it is next 

 to impossible to suit all witbiib the small bounds required 

 for a home nursery. 



As water is indispensable wnere seedlings are raised, as well 

 as for numerous other purposes in the nursery, it is well to 

 have provision made for a continuous supply, either by a 

 stream running through the ground, or in close contiguity to 

 it, or by having a pipe laid on from the main water-supply. 



From six acres to ten acres will be found sufficient nursjery 

 ground for most estates, but it is always advisable to add a 

 little more than is really required, so that the breaks may 

 not be all under forest trees at the same time, but undergo, 

 when found necessary, a course of green crops, which will 

 not only enrich, but clean, the ground, and leave it in good 

 condition for replanting with seedling forest plants, bearing 

 in mind that farmyard manure should always be applied 

 first to the green crop, and never directly to the plants them- 

 selves. ! When a plot has becolme impoverished by repeated 

 croppings of forest trees, a hea^vy coating of well-decomposed 

 farmyard manure should be applied, and the ground planted 

 with potatoes, or sown down with turnips. This has an 

 almost magical effect in improving, regenerating, and cleaning 

 the ground, and leaving it in the best possible condition for 

 receiving a crop of forest plants. Land intended for nursery 

 ground should be thoroughly trenched to the full depth of 

 the soil, taking care, at the same time, that the best soil is 

 kept within a reasonable distance of the surface, and, where 

 necessary, heavily manured or enriched by the addition ot 

 lime, vegetable soil, or loam as the case may be. 



In laying out the ground into breaks it will be found con- 

 venient to have these either square or rectangular in shape 



15 



