TRANSPLANTING STOCKS. 123 



vators every where is tliat seedling stocks especially, of 

 all sorts, should be transj^lanted when cnie year old. It 

 may be nrged against this, that some seedlings are so 

 small when one year old, as not to be worth transplanting; 

 BO feeble, that more care and cnlture wonld be reqnired 

 before they conld be worked than they are worth. In re- 

 ply, it can only be said that such feeble productions are 

 only fit to be thrown away^ because the seeds must have 

 been defective, or the soil and culture bad ; and stocks 

 raised from poor seeds, or stunted by bad soil and culture, 

 will never make sound, healthy, vigorous, or long lived 

 trees. 



When seedlings remain longer than one year in the seed 

 bed, they grow up slender and weak ; one more vigorous 

 than its neighbors will ruin all around it; then the roots 

 do not ramify, but continue to lengthen without forming 

 laterals or fibres, and when removed and reduced to the 

 necessary dimensions they receive a severe check; but at 

 one year the check is very light, they at once form lateral 

 roots, and instead of being drawn up tall and slender, they 

 become stout and well ^proportioned. The best pear grow- 

 ers in Europe, "and even in this country, would scarcely 

 take as a gift two year seedling pears from the seed bed, 

 unless in case of absolute necessity. 



The proper plan is to take up all seedling stocks^ and all 

 layers.^ sufficiently rooted to bear se]3aration from the stool, 

 and all cuttings that stand close, at one year oldf and sort 

 and arrange in separate classes, in this way : in one class 

 put the strongest, those fit for immediate use, either to be 

 grafted on the root, or budded the summer following ; in 

 another class, put such as may require to stand one year 

 in the nursery rows to be fit for working ; and in the third 

 class, such as are too weak to be put in the nursery rows, 



* The sloe (Prunus spinosa) , or any such very slow growing thing 

 excepted. 



