﻿192 
  History 
  op 
  Durham. 
  

  

  oak, 
  gum, 
  or 
  sassafras 
  — 
  not 
  thick 
  enough 
  to 
  exclude 
  the 
  

   sunlight, 
  but 
  sufficient 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  plants 
  from 
  frosts 
  and 
  

   the 
  chilling 
  and 
  drying 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  March 
  v.'inds. 
  The 
  

   brush 
  also 
  serves 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  bed 
  moist. 
  Some 
  care 
  is 
  re- 
  

   quired 
  to 
  put 
  the 
  brush 
  upon 
  the 
  bed 
  properly. 
  The 
  butt 
  

   ends 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  layer 
  should 
  be 
  laid 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  outside 
  

   the 
  bed, 
  the 
  soft 
  brush 
  resting 
  upo)i 
  the 
  bed, 
  tiiose 
  of 
  the 
  

   second 
  layer 
  resting 
  upon 
  the 
  bushy 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  first, 
  and 
  

   so 
  on 
  until 
  the 
  bed 
  is 
  covered 
  by 
  successive 
  layers. 
  In 
  this 
  

   way 
  the 
  thick, 
  heavy 
  ends, 
  which 
  would 
  interfere 
  seriously 
  

   with 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  plants, 
  are 
  kept 
  above 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  bed. 
  A 
  covering 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  will 
  protect 
  the 
  

   plants 
  against 
  very 
  hard 
  freezing. 
  In 
  Wisconsin 
  and 
  in 
  

   northern 
  Illinois 
  marsh 
  or 
  prairie 
  hay 
  is 
  used, 
  just 
  enough 
  

   to 
  mitigate 
  the 
  severity 
  of 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  prevent 
  

   the 
  drying 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  by 
  winds 
  until 
  the 
  plants 
  start 
  to 
  

   grow, 
  which 
  requires 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  weeks, 
  

   when 
  the 
  hay 
  is 
  removed. 
  

  

  The 
  covering 
  of 
  brush 
  is 
  generally 
  allowed 
  to 
  remain 
  upon 
  

   the 
  bed 
  until 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  nearly 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  set 
  out, 
  

   but 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  remove 
  it 
  temporarily, 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  pick 
  off 
  any 
  leaves 
  or 
  other 
  trash 
  which 
  the 
  winds 
  are 
  

   apt 
  to 
  drive 
  u[)on 
  the 
  beds. 
  To 
  prevent 
  the 
  accumulation 
  

   of 
  leaves 
  upon 
  a 
  bed 
  prepared 
  in 
  or 
  near 
  a 
  forest 
  wicker 
  

   fences, 
  built 
  of 
  brush 
  interwoven 
  between 
  sticks 
  driven 
  into 
  

   the 
  ground, 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  ver}^ 
  efficient. 
  

  

  Trenches 
  dug 
  across 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  and 
  along 
  

   the 
  sides 
  prevent 
  flood-water 
  from 
  sweeping 
  over 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   face. 
  Heavy 
  rains 
  are 
  sometimes 
  very 
  injurious, 
  washing 
  

   the 
  seeds 
  from 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  and 
  depositing 
  them 
  

   in 
  depressions. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  the 
  usual 
  custom 
  to 
  defer 
  manurial 
  applications 
  un- 
  

   til 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  up 
  and 
  well 
  started. 
  Liquid 
  manures 
  are 
  

   frequently 
  used 
  at 
  this 
  stage. 
  A 
  tight 
  barrel, 
  half 
  filled 
  

   with 
  cow 
  dung, 
  is 
  placed 
  near 
  the 
  bed, 
  water 
  is 
  added 
  to 
  fill 
  

   the 
  barrel, 
  the 
  mixture 
  is 
  stirred 
  until 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  semi-liquid 
  

   mass, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  sprinkled 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  with 
  an 
  old 
  broom. 
  

   Some 
  prefer 
  a 
  solution 
  of 
  guano, 
  a 
  gallon 
  of 
  this 
  fertilizer 
  

   being 
  mixed 
  with 
  a 
  barrel 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  sprinkled 
  upon 
  the 
  

   plants. 
  These 
  applications 
  may 
  be 
  repeated 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  

   times 
  with 
  decidedly 
  good 
  results. 
  Land 
  plaster 
  has 
  proven 
  

   to 
  be 
  a 
  good 
  application, 
  giving 
  a 
  deep 
  green 
  color 
  to 
  the 
  

   plants, 
  indicating 
  vigorous 
  and 
  healthy 
  growth. 
  

  

  