152 



MANAGEMENT OF MURSEKIES. 



throughout the summer to promote as free a growth as 

 possible. 



The seedlings should be taken up in autumn, and either 

 heeled in or packed in boxes with fine compact moss. Be- 

 fore setting out they should be carefully assorted, so that 

 a uniform size may be in each row and no irregularities 

 or gaps occur. Before setting out, the tap-roots should be 

 shortened and the tops reduced. All imperfect or doubt- 

 ful plants should be rejected, in order to save the useless 

 labor of transplanting those which will not grow or take 

 the bud. 



Seedlings which have a single slender root, as the apple, 

 may be transplanted expeditiously with a dibble, which may 

 be easily made of an old spade-handle shod with 

 sharp iron as in the annexed cut (Fig. 205). 

 Other forms of this handy tool may be purchased 

 as Fig. 206. Or, they may be set in a furrow. 



The soil being previously deep and mellow, this 

 instrument is thrust down by the side of the 

 stretched line, finishing the whole by a few slight 

 lateral motions of the hand, then thrusting in the 

 seedling held in the left hand 

 and pressing the earth very com- 

 pactly about it with the same tool. Great 

 care is to be taken that the hole be entirely 

 and closely filled, and that no cavities are 

 left among the roots below. 



If the weather be dry, it will be well 

 to immerse the roots previously in mud; 



and in any case but few plants should be 



FIG. 206. Dibble. 



left exposed to the air at a time. 



If the seedlings be valuable, as those of the pear, or have 

 broad branching roots like the French quince, they should be 

 set out with a spade a trench being previously cut by the 

 line for this purpose, or a straight furrow made by a skilful 

 ploughman before the line is stretched. One man holds each 

 successive seedling with the hand, placing it close to the line, 

 while the other covers the roots with a spade, moving back- 

 ward in the row. 



Seedlings may be set out in the nursery row in autumn if 



