THE NURSERY. 



39 



plants ; hence trees are planted out in their infant 

 state, and allowed to take their chance with weeds, 

 grass, and the like incumbrances, that accumulate 

 and impoverish them, and the consequence is, that 

 they are dwarfed into. a meagre growth when young, 

 and are in a measure deterred from ever attaining a 

 full and vigorous growth and habit. 



Unless trees can be properly grown and well at- 

 tended to, a nursery never will answer either for 

 profit, or as a plantation from tvhich it is intended to 

 transplant into a fruit garden or orchard. 



In selecting a nursery, the ground should be chosen 

 in a sheltered situation, protected from the north and 

 northwest winds. Shelter indeed is one of the 

 principal objects to be regarded, for in most cases, 

 young trees have great resemblance to young chil- 

 dren, or anything in its infant state in the animal 

 kingdom ; they require a degree of warmth and shel- 

 ter to assist their formation into a thrifty habit : in- 

 deed in many cases, trees although not possessing 

 motion or sensible qualities, are very similar to ani- 

 mals, for we find it to be the case in the vegetable 

 kingdom, in trees more especially, that the young are 

 fostered under the influence and protection of their 

 parent, which acts as shelter and protection to its 

 offspring for awhile, and whilst the parent is going 

 into an incipient decay the offspring is gaining vigor 

 and magnitude, and finally like the Phoenix is foster- 

 ed, fed, and formed from the remains of its parent. 



But to return to my subject ; the ground should be 

 of a naturally rich soil, approaching to a mellow 

 loam, w'ith rich mellow subsoil, that will retain mois- 

 ture in a moderate degree, bnt not in such a manner 



