68i 



THE TRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Mar. 



MARC 11. 



NURSING PINE-PLANTS. 



In tlie course of this month, when the weather is fine, tliis 

 department of the pinery will require to be examined, as was 

 done to tlie fruitiiig-plants last month. The heat may now 

 be on the decline, and require to be renewed, by trench- 

 ing the whole bed over, and taking out such as may be much 

 exhausted of the tan or leaves, and replacing it with fresh. 

 Tlic directions given for the fruiting-plants, as far as regards 

 shifting the tan or leaves and replacing the plants, are appli- 

 cable to the young pine-plants at this time. As the plants are 

 taken out of the bed in which they are plunged, each should 

 be neatly tied up with a piece of fresh matting, to prevent the 

 leaves from being broken or injured, as well as for the greater 

 convenience of handling them. In performing this operation, 

 one person should gather up the leaves between his hands 

 gently, so as not to pull the plants out of the pots, and hold 

 them moderately tight, while another binds them up with fresh 

 strings of matting; sometimes it is necessary to put two or 

 even three several strings of matting round them, to keep up 

 all their leaves. This should be particularly attended to at 

 all times that the plants are removed ; for, without this pre- 

 caution, the leaves would be unavoidably broken, bruised, or 

 otherwise injured, and the operators would not be able to per- 

 form the potting, ivc, with so much expedition if they were 

 left untied. When it occurs that a plant stiuids loose in the 

 pot, it then should be supported by a neat stick, which will 

 prevent it from being farther loosened, and will be a certain 

 sign of its requiring to be re-potted. 



As a gi*eat many will require to be now shifted, it will be 

 necessary to have in readiness a sufficient quantity of proper 

 mould, prepared previously, and kept dry in a shade for this 

 purpose, as well as a sufficient number of pots, of the different 

 sizes likely to be required, to suit the size and circumstances o. 

 the plants. All things being in readiness, the plants should 



