PROPAGATION. 131 



1,/ieir summer's work in time to ri'pen their wood thor- 

 oughly before the advent of winter. This is particularly 

 necessary where the climate is severe, especially on new 

 lands, where the trees are very vigorous. Upon the ap- 

 proach of ^winter, it is a good practice to plow a light fur- 

 row against the trees on each side ; this protects the collar 

 from cold, prevents heaving by the frost, and gives a 

 good surface drainage to excess of water. 



For deeply loosening the ground between the rows, the 

 one-horse subsoil lifting plow is a very valuable instru- 

 ment; this can be used in very narrow spaces. This 

 plow prepares the ground admirably for the pronged 

 hoe, and it may be used between rows of cuttings and 

 seedlings. 



THE PRONGED HOE. One of the most valuable imple- 

 ments in the nursery to clean out the weeds from between 

 the trees, and also to work among cuttings, and other 

 plants, that are set too closely for the use of the horse, is 



the pronged hoe ; it makes 

 the best shallow culture, 

 prevents the soil from be- 

 coming hard, and it is the 

 best destroyer of small 



Fig. 24. THE PRONGED HOE. weeds that can be used. 

 The flat hoe is never sharp enough to cut all of the 

 weeds effectually, it produces little tilth, and the result of 

 its use is too often a disappointment, but half killing the 

 weeds, in some places, and dragging them out by the roots 

 in others, and often leaving the ground hard and in miser- 

 able condition. 



PLANTING CUTTINGS. Some of the small fruits, as cur- 



