THE HOME NURSERY 169 



These deaths or failures are of course much more 

 common with some species than with others. Larch and 

 deciduous hardwoods generally bear root exposure with much 

 greater impunity than the majority of conifers. It is a well- 

 known fact that several of the pines, such as Austrian or 

 Corsican, are often destroyed by transplanting under ordinary 

 conditions ; and this we are perfectly convinced is greatly the 

 result of root exposure, although their mutilation in the 

 process of lifting may also have something to do with it. 

 But in the case of all species it is a well-known fact that 

 careful avoidance of root exposure is the best means of 

 securing successful transplanting, and this is rendered much 

 more easy and simple when a mile or two separates the 

 nursery from the planting ground, instead of a hundred miles 

 or so. It is in this respect that the existence of a home 

 nursery proves so useful. Trees can be lifted to-day and 

 planted out to-morrow, and no unforeseen risks of delay need 

 be encountered, and with delicate species this may mean 

 the saving of from 20 to 50 per cent, in respect of losses 

 during the first season. 



The general idea which prevails in connection with a 

 home nursery is that a great deal of expense is saved by 

 buying in two-year seedlings and growing them on for two 

 years, instead of buying trees old enough to plant out at 

 once. The difference in the cost of " two-year seedlings " 

 and " two-year seedlings two-year transplanted " stuff varies 

 from £1 to £3 per thousand. On an estate where from fifty 

 to a hundred thousand trees are planted out annually, this 

 means a difference of probably £150 in the nurserymen's 

 bills, and at first sight this looks like a considerable saving. 

 But it must be remembered that this is not a nett saving. 

 The cost of cleaning the ground, bedding out the seedlings, 

 keeping them clean for two years, replacing deaths and 

 damaged plants, and the general upkeep of the nursery 

 ground, have to be deducted from this difference in the 

 cost of small and large plants. The cost of cleaning the 

 ground is often considerable, especially after a wet season, 

 and, although alternate cropping with potatoes, roots, etc., 

 may do much to assist, it is often necessary to fork over 

 the ground before plants are bedded out. The cost of 



