210 



NURSERY. 



cles ; but if it be necessary to enrich it, this should be done 

 by a manured crop of onions, turnips, lettuces, or the like. 

 Potatoes should never go before a crop of seedlings, even 

 of the coarser sorts, as ash, oak, or chestnut; because pota- 

 toes never can be taken clean out of the ground ; and, it 

 being indispensable to pull up those which rise among the 

 tree seedlings, many of these unavoidably come up along 

 with them." — NlcoVs Planter'^ s Calender. 



" A rotting ground will be required for the preparation 

 of certain seeds, by mixing them with sand, ashes, or soil, 

 and leaving them there for different periods, from six 

 months to two years, to rot off their interior coverings. On 

 a small scale, a portion of the compost ground of the kitchen- 

 garden may be used for this purpose. If the scale is large, 

 an area of a few square poles should be set apart for bed- 

 ding in plants taken up for replanting, or what is called 

 laying in by the heels, or sloughing : this is generally called 

 the bedding ground^ or, in Scotland, the sloughing ground,'^^ — 

 Loudon. 



^' It has been a received opinion, that the soil for a nur- 

 sery should not be made rich, as the plants, when removed 

 to a more fertile soil, w ill flourish more luxuriantly ; but 

 later obs.ervation has decided, that the reverse of this will 

 be found correct. There is a close analogy between vegeta- 

 ble and animal life ; and it is a dictate of nature, that both re- 

 quire a full supply of nutriment, from their earliest existence. 

 It w^ould be absurd to suppose, that the tender roots of 

 young seedlings are capable of drawing sufficient nutriment 

 from a rank, barren, and uncultivated soil, and those that 

 are barely supported, or nearly starved at first, will never 

 aftervv ards become vigorous, stately, and handsome, though 

 surrounded by the richest mould. Repeated experiments 

 have proved that a strong and vigorous plant, that has 

 grown up quickly, and arrived at considerable magnitude 

 in a short time, never fails to grow better, after transplant- 

 ing, than another of the same size, that is older and stunted 

 in its growth. Where the soil is poor and lean, trees, in 

 every stage of their growth, are observed to be languid, 

 weak, and stunted ; while those reared in a good, mellow 

 soil, always assume a free growth, and advance with 

 strength and vigour. It is evident, therefore, that the 

 ground to be o<"cupied for a fruit nursery, requires to be 

 made rich and fu tile. The soil should also be deep, well 

 pulverized, and cleared of all roots anu weed«. The seedi 

 may be sown either in autumn or April, and, in one yeal 



