51. 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



such trees will be much more Hkely to succeed, than if they 

 were carried five Imndred miles, and kept five or six weeks out 

 of the ground. 



It has been advanced by many practical men, and, as Sang 

 observes, Many are of that opinion still, that trees, in order 

 to their bein^ rendered sufficiently hardy, should be reared on 

 ihe soil, and in the situation where they are ultimately to be 

 planted ; or at least in a soil and situation as nearly similar as 

 possible." We know that this plan has been extensively prac- 

 tised by those who are engaged in the extensive plantations 

 carried on in the Forest of Dean, and other places, with the best 

 eftect; but, as the intelligent author above-mentioned, further 

 observes, If the soil and situation in which the trees are 

 ultimately to be planted, be favorable, we can see no solid 

 reason for objecting to such a plan, particularly if the design be 

 extensive, and such as may require many years for its comple- 

 tion ; because a conveniently situated nursery is, in that case, 

 highly desirable, not only as saving the carriage of plants, and 

 faciliating the business of transplanting, but as increasing the 

 chance of success, on account of the plants remaining a much 

 shorter time out of the ground than if brought from a distance. 

 But if the situation ultimately designed for the trees be cold, 

 high, and bleak, and the soil of course various, some good, 

 and much of it bad, or of an indifferent (juality, there it would, 

 by no means, be advisable to attempt the establishment of a 

 nursery, and especially a nursery to raise plants from seeds." 



In the formation of a complete nursery, it is almost indispen- 

 sible that the soil be of various qualities ; and when this is not 

 naturally the case, it must, to a certain extent, be made so by 

 artificial means. But as natural soils are to be preferred, some 

 care ought to be taken in the selection ; and, as it is somewhat 

 different in this case from that of a kitchen or fruit-garden, 

 where it would be extremely inconvenient to have it in detached 

 pieces, we cannot see any objection to have several small nur- 

 series instead of one large one, if the natural character of the 

 soils be sufficiently various to admit of this arrangement. Thus 

 a moist piece of ground might be enclosed for peculiar species, 

 a piece of bog or peat soil for others, and one of land of a light 

 loamy texture for a third. Strong, rich alluvial soils, wc con- 



