42 



FRUIT GARDEN COMPANION. 



and the oftener they are cut off, the more numer- 

 ous they grow. Seedling trees seldom throw out 

 suckers from their roots, and hence it is essential to 

 grow trees by seed in order to evade a perpetual 

 trouble, besides having most generally better crops 

 of fruit. 



The method of raising young seedlings, is to pre- 

 pare a piece of ground by digging and manuring it 

 well either in the fall or the spring, but the spring is 

 generally considered the best. Having the grounds 

 prepared, the seed may then be sown either in four 

 feet beds with two foot alleys, or in drills of about six 

 inches wide -and a foot between. The latter I 

 w 7 ould recommend, for by this method the young 

 plants will have a better chance to obtain the sun and 

 air, and grow more stout and bushy, than when 

 grown in a thick bed of four feet w ? ide. The seed 

 may be sown in depth according to the size. Such 

 as apple, pear, and the small kinds of seeds may be 

 sown very shallow, and lightly covered by sifting 

 over it some fine rotten leaf mould, or other light 

 earth, with a portion of decomposed vegetable mat- 

 ter incorporated in it. Peaches, plums, nuts and 

 large hard shelled seeds will require to be sown 

 deeper in proportion. Such seed should be pre- 

 viously prepared by mixing it with earth in the fall, 

 and keeping it in tubs or boxes during the winter, 

 in order to soften the shells. Many kinds of berries, 

 as mountain-ash, hawthorn, and the like, may be 

 treated in the same manner. 



If the fall is the most convenient time for doing 

 this business, there is no objection to doing it in a 

 proper manner, and so much of the nursery busi- 



