m 



THE NURSERY. 



is necessary for the purpose just mentioued. The 

 earth, thus pushed off, must be made to lie in an 

 extremely even ridge on each side of the bed, so as 

 to occupy one half of each alley ; the other being- 

 left clear for passing and repassing, as often as may 

 be necessary, till the work be completed. The cof- 

 fing being taken off, the bed is now ready for the 

 seed, which must be sprinkled very evenly over it, 

 the sower standing in the unoccupied part of the al- 

 ley. A light wooden roller must then be passed 

 along the bed, to prevent the seeds from being driven 

 in heaps, when they are covered. After this, the 

 cofRng is drawn on with the same instrument used 

 in taking it off ; and, in doing so, great care must 

 be used to spread the earth equally, so that it may 

 be no deeper in one part than in another. The next 

 bed is then treated in the same manner as the pre- 

 ceding, and so on till the whole are gone over. The 

 line is afterwards stretched, and each alley neatly 

 hollowed out with the spade to the depth of about 

 half an inch, the earth being evenly spread upon 

 the beds. The seeds of larches, Scots firs, and 

 spruce, should not be covered more than a quarter 

 of an inch thick ; nor those of tlie silver fir, and 

 Balm of Gilead, more than half an inch ; and to 

 these depths respectively the coffing must be pro- 



