16 BULLETIN 479, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF A.GRICULTUBE. 



alert to improve methods in the ordinary routine, and fully alive to < 

 the desirability of reducing costs of operation and overhead charged 

 It is desirable that he have a knowledge of plant physiology and 

 pathology, for this will enable him to note quickly imperfections or 

 disease in his stock and to seek methods for improving its quality or 

 liea lth. 



INITIAL PREPARATION OF NURSERY SITE. 



On a site which has already been cleared or is free of all stumps, 

 logs, and woody growth, the first step in preparing the ground is 

 to remove the litter, rocks, and pieces of roots. The surface soil 

 should be thoroughly hand raked and rubbish carted away ; the area 

 should then be plowed and harrowed very thoroughly. Where there 

 is a grass cover it should be scraped off close and burnt to ashes after 

 the sod is thoroughly dried; or better, it may be plowed under and 

 the area devoted to field crops for a year or two until the sod is 

 thoroughly decomposed. Piles of brush should not be burned on 

 the nursery area because deterioration of the soil results. 



Experience has proved that plowing and replowing and harrowing 

 and reharrowing, amply pay for themselves in the resulting condi- 

 tion of the area. Rocks, roots, and trash which would interfere with 

 the nursery operations are not only brought to the surface and re- 

 moved, but hollows are filled in and elevations cut down until the 

 whole surface is brought to an even grade. The initial plowing and 

 harrowing must be more intensive than those of after years because 

 of the greater amount of rubbish present and the roughness of the 

 land. Heavy soils, fall plowed and left rough, are much mellowed 

 and improved by the action of the frost and are in a better state to 

 absorb and retain the winter moisture. Unless replowed in the 

 spring, however, they are packed and hard to work. Spring plow- 

 ing and harrowing puts a soil in excellent condition for working; 

 but after transplanting operations are finished the soil may settle 

 and leave the plants sticking too high out of the ground. The com- 

 bination of fall plowing with cross plowing and harrowing in the 

 spring is undoubtedly best, provided the soil can be watered and 

 settled somewhat before transplanting begins. 



The seed-bed area should be further prepared with a shovel or 

 garden fork, the lumps of earth mashed, and then finely pulverized 

 by raking. In either plowing or spading the soil should, if possible, 

 be stirred to a depth of a foot. Very shallow cultivation may result 

 in shallow root development, heaving, and poor plant growth through 

 drying out of the soil. Deep cultivation involves the risk of bring- 

 ing to the surface the poorer, less fertile subsoil, in which plants do 

 not develop properly. 



