86 STATE BOARD OF HOKTICULTUEE. 



Strong and thrifty as when sown sparingly. The seed should 

 be covered with fine, rich soil, from one to two inches in depth. 

 Boxes filled with rich soil are also used in which to grow seed- 

 lings. They are set close to each other on the ground, watered 

 and covered the same as the seed-bed. 



Transplanting. — In one year the plants will be large 

 enough to be transplanted in nursery form. They are sorted, 

 the very small and delicate ones planted by themselves, or 

 transplanted in boxes and kept another year; being so small 

 and delicate they are generally scorched by the sun when 

 planted in the open ground, and remain small in the nursery. 



Distance of Nursery Rows. — The rows should be far enough 

 apart to admit a cultivator between them. Grave mistakes are 

 often made in setting the plants less than four feet apart, as in 

 cultivating after being budded many buds are knocked off by 

 the horse or the traces rubbing against them. Preference is 

 given to rows when set five or six feet apart. This will give 

 ample room for cultivation; and also, in digging up trees, a 

 small, narrow sled can be run in to haul them to the head of 

 the rows without rubbing against the nursery stock. 



Planting close together in the rows tends to make feeble and 

 slender trees. If it is not intended to "sack" or "ball" the 

 trees when they are to be transplanted, then the plants can be 

 set from eight to twelve inches apart, and they will make strong 

 and thrifty stocks; but if it is intended to "sack" them this is 

 too close. They should be at least eighteen inches apart; this 

 will give the digger enough space to take up trees between 

 others. It also has the advantage of not cutting the roots 

 too short, which is apt to be the case when the plants are close 

 together. 



Trimming the Stock.— The plants should be trimmed but 

 sparingly until at least one year after planting. They should 

 be left to grow almost at will the first year, as they will with- 

 stand the cold of winter better. When plants are trimmed too 

 young they generally make slender and feeble stock. In the 

 following spring, as early as possible, say in February, the 

 plants are trimmed, leaving a clear stock. All cuts should be 

 made close so that they may soon heal over. The brush is 

 then gathered and burned. As the ground becomes packed by 



