Sl% sill HENRY STEUART'S METHOD 



tremities of the roots, should be thrown up, to en- 

 courage the growth of new fibres. If the nursery 

 be near the verge of the plantation, the two outside 

 rows must be left unthinned, during the first two 

 years, as a protection against the wind. All this 

 work should be executed between November and 

 April. 



In the month last named, the whole surface is to 

 be well dunged, either with fermented peat-compost, 

 which is best, or, failing that, with farm-yard manure. 

 The ground should then be cropped with flax, 

 barley or early oats, which, with a crop of hay the 

 following season, will more than cover the expense 

 of the whole operation. 



It is proper to notice before leaving this part of 

 the subject, that in a transplanting nursery, the axe 

 and hedge-bill ought to be employed as well as the 

 pick and spade, not indeed to mutilate the trees, 

 but to fashion their tops into such forms, as may be 

 most requisite to render them ornamental. In order 

 to render them tall and spiral, all the lower branches 

 may be cut away, and such others as rival the lead- 

 ing stem. If low and spreading tops be required, 

 on the contrary, the leader should be headed down ; 

 and these operations are to be repeated from time 

 to time, till the desired shapes be produced. 



