FROM PUBLIC NURSERIES. ib 



Such a visit in the summer season may by many 

 be considered an unnecessary piece of work, but 

 every experienced planter can attest to the pro- 

 priety of it. I have known an instance of diseased 

 trees from a nursery being the cause of propa- 

 gating the same disease through several planta- 

 tions m the neighbourhood ; but in asserting this, 

 I do not mean to say that any respectable nursery- 

 man would be guilty of sending diseased trees 

 to any of his customers; but I do mean to say, 

 that every planter or forester should, previous 

 to making a purchase, go and visit the nursery 

 grounds, and judge for himself, as to whether he 

 shall buy them or not ; and the proper time for such 

 a visit is during the month of July, when the trees 

 are in full leaf and in a vigorous state of growth. 



In that month, all young trees should have the 

 bark upon the main stem and branches clean and 

 free from any appearance of scale or bug; and 

 when a little of the surface skin is removed by the 

 nail of the thumb, the bark under should be of a 

 pure healthy transparent green colour, and not 

 pierced by any small holes ; the surface bark of 

 a young tree in perfect health should be easily 

 removed from the inner bark. There should be 

 no appearance of small holes in the leaves at 

 tliis season of the year; neither should they have 

 the appearance of having been bitten short by any 

 insect. 



