NUR 



NUT 



The most of the resinous trees, when 

 they are to be transplanted into the 

 nursery lines, may be one year's seed- 

 lings ; others of the resinous, and all 

 the hard- wood kinds, sliould not gen- 

 erally he less than two years' seed- 

 lings before being transplanted to the 

 lines. Those that require grafting 

 are worked either in the first or sec- 

 ond year, and removed the next sea- 

 son. The transplantation from the 

 seed beds to the nursery lines may 

 take place in autumn, after the de- 

 scent of the sap, or in spring, before 

 vegetation has commenced. The 

 operation may be performed by the 

 spade, but is often performed by the 

 dibble. The plants are set at such 

 distances in the rows that the hori- 

 zontal branches of the young trees 

 shall not interfere with one another. 

 In transplanting, no part of the root 

 should be lopped or shortened by the 

 knife, nor the roots doubled in put- 

 ting them into the ground ; and care 

 should be taken in planting, where 

 the dibble is used, that the root shall 

 be fixed firmly, without being com- 

 pressed at the neck. 



" Certain kinds of tree plants, in- 

 stead of being propagated by seeds, 

 are propagated by cuttings, consist- 

 ing of a portion of the shoot of the 

 previous year's growth, twelve or 

 fifteen inches long. These cuttings 

 are planted by thrusting one end a 

 few inches into the ground. This 

 is the manner in which willows and 

 certain poplars are raised. 



" Certain kinds, again, are best prop- 

 agated by layers. This practice con- 

 sists in bending down the branches 

 of a growing tree, fixing them in the 

 ground by means of crooked pins of 

 wood, and covering them partly with 

 earth. In this state the covered part 

 quickly shoots forth roots, and the 

 branch, being then separated from the 

 parent tree, becomes a distinct plant. 



'■ But, in the case of the greater 

 number of species, the practice is to 

 sow the seeds in the seed beds in the 

 manner described. The hardier are 

 often planted at once, but most of 

 the hard-wood are not planted in the 

 forest until they have been one or 



more years in the nursery lines, 

 where they extend their roots, and 

 acquire strength and size. 



" During the period in which the 

 plants remain in these lines they are 

 to be kept free from weeds. They 

 require no pruning at this early stage 

 farther than to the extent of causing 

 the leading or principal ascending 

 shoot to preserve its ascendency over 

 the lateral and more horizontal ones, 

 so that the plant shall not become 

 what is termed forked. This may be 

 simply efTected by shortening one of 

 the branches, or by simply nipping ofT 

 the terminal bud of the branch, by 

 which means its vertical growth will 

 be interrupted, and the main stem per- 

 mitted to preserve its ascendency." 

 NURSES IN PLANTATIONS. 

 Shrubs or trees which grow rapidly 

 and protect the young plants. Thus 

 the vine is used as a nurse to the 

 cork-oak in Spain. By this means a 

 profit is obtained from the soil. They 

 must not shade the trees too much. 



NUT, NUX. A fruit with a hard 

 covering, indehiscent, with one seed 

 {nucula). 



NUT ANT, NUTANS. Nodding, 

 inclined forward, or to the ground. 



NUT OF A SCREW. The head, 

 or piece of wood or metal turned 

 down upon the screw. 



NUT.MEG8. "The fruit of the 

 Myrislica moscluita, a beautiful tree of 

 the family of the LaiirmccE of Jussieu, 

 which grows in the Molucca Islands. 

 All the parts of this tree are very ar- 

 omatic, but only those portions of 

 the fruit called mace and nutmeg are 

 sent into the market. The entire 

 fruit is a species of drupa, of an ovoid 

 form, of the size of a peach, and fur- 

 rowed longitudinally. The nutmeg 

 is the innermost kernel or seed, con- 

 tained in a thin shell, which is sur- 

 rounded by the mace ; and this, again, 

 is enclosed in a tough, fleshy skin, 

 which, opening at the tip, separates 

 into two valves. The nutmeg-tree 

 yields three crops annually : one in 

 April, which is the best, one in Au- 

 gust, and one in December. 



" Good nutmegs should be dense, 

 and feel heavy in the hand. When 



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