cruickshank's practical planter. 



331 



forest trees, neither very accurate nor interesting, 

 but, luckily, not very tedious. He then proceeds to 

 treat of nursery, sowing, transplanting, and choosing 

 of plants, where many sensible, though some of them 

 common-place, observations occur, of much use to the 

 generality of planters. His views, however, of the pro- 

 per manner of planting seedlings in the nursery, are 

 defective. The best method of planting these — nei- 

 ther by laying, nor by dibbling — is first to stretch the 

 line and make a furrow, level in the bottom, as broad 

 as the roots may stretch, with the inner side straight 

 and steep. One person then holds the plant erect 

 in its berth, from two to four inches from the perpen- 

 dicular side, according to the general size of the ho- 

 rizontal roots, so that the fibres may be regularly 

 spread ; and another person throws on the earth from 

 the place of the next furrow ; the placer of the plants 

 footing the earth to the roots as he proceeds, or af- 

 ter the row is completed. 



The following observations of Mr Cruickshank 

 are worthy the attention of planters : 



" Proprietors should not attempt to raise seedlings, 

 but pm'chase them from professional nurserymen, 

 and place them in a succession nursery of their own. 

 A proprietor may, in general, purchase seedlings 

 much cheaper than he can raise them ; while the case 



