Jan.] THE NURSERY. 57 



book, with the name of the varieties to which the number-sticks 

 are placed; whereby you can at all times readily have recourse to 

 the sorts wanted. 



The same method may be practised to any other trees, shrubs, 

 or herbaceous plants, especially the varieties of particular species, 

 when they are numerous, as in many of the flowery tribe, such 

 as auriculas, carnations, tulips, anemones, ranunculuses, and tlie 

 like. 



With respect to watering the nursery plants, this may be very 

 requisite in dry hot weather in spring and summer to seed beds, 

 and tender seedling plants while young, and when first planted out, 

 till they have taken good root; also occasionally to new-hived 

 layers, and newly planted cuttings in dry warm weather; but as 

 to hardy trees and shrubs of all sorts, if planted out at the proper 

 time, that is, not too late in spring, no great regard mid be paid 

 to watering, for they will generally succeed very well without any; 

 indeed, where there are but a few, you may, if you please, water 

 them occasionally, if it proves a very dry spring in April and May; 

 but where there are great plantations, it would be an almost insup- 

 portable fatigue, and a great expense. 



Every winter or spring the ground between the rows of all sorts 

 of transplanted plants in the open nursery quarters must be digged; 

 this is particularly necessary to all the tree and shrub kinds that 

 stand wide enough in rows to admit the spade between; which work 

 is by the nurserymen called (urning-in; the most general season 

 for this work is any time from October to the latter end of March ; 

 but the sooner it is done the more advantageous it will prove 

 to the plants. The ground is to be digged one spade deep, pro- 

 ceeding row by row, turning the top of each pit clean to the bot- 

 tom, that all weeds on the top may be buried a proper depth to 

 rot: this work oHuming-in is a most necessary annual operation, 

 both to destroy weeds and to increase the growth of the young 

 nursery plants. 



In summer be remarkably attentive to keep all sorts clean from 

 weeds; the seedlings growing close in the seminary beds must be 

 hand-weeded; but among plants of all sorts that grow in rowa 

 wide enough to introduce a hoe, this will prove not only the most 

 expeditious method of destroying weeds, but by loosening the top 

 of the soil it will prove good culture in promoting the growth of 

 all kinds of plants; always perform this work of hoeing in drj 

 weather in due time, before the weeds grow large, and you ma\ 

 soon go over a great space of ground, either with a common 

 drawing hoe, or occasionally with a scuffling hoe, as you shall find 

 the most convenient. 



According as any quarters or compartments of the nursery ground 

 are cleared from plants, others must be substituted in their room 

 from the seminary, &c, but the ground should previously be 

 trenched and lie some time fallow to recruit or recover its former 

 vigour; giving it also the addition of manure, if it shall seem proper; 

 and after being trenched in ridges, and having the repose only ol 

 H 



