50 



Tin: PRACTICXL GARDF.NF.n. 



A nursery in a private establishment may, with nmcli pro- 

 priety, answer the two-fold purpose of a nursery and auxiliary 

 kitchen-garden ; and, by a judicious arrangement of rotiition of 

 crops, would be beneficial to both. The ground which has 

 been under forest-trees two, three, or more years, is, with the 

 addition of a little manure, in excellent condition for the majo- 

 rity of culinary vegetables ; and the cultivation of them in their 

 turn, renders the soil in good condition for sccd-bcds, or for 

 transplanting seedling-trees. ^^ e should observe, however, 

 that potatoes should not precede a crop of seedling-trees, as it is 

 with great diOiculty that all of them are got out of the ground 

 when the crop is removing, and those which are left will shoot 

 up in the spring, and their removal will seriously injure the 

 seedling-trees. Peas that have not been staked, but allowed 

 to lie on the ground, are a good preparatory crop for seedlings, 

 as they tend to clear the ground of weeds, by smothering them 

 during summer. Carrots, onions, and similar crops, particu- 

 larly the former, are excellent preparatory crops ; the neces- 

 sary hoeing or weeding also cleans the ground. 



By a rotation of this sort, nursery ground will seldom require 

 trenching after its formation, as a constant change of crops, 

 with slight manurings, will be always sufficient. In regard to 

 the rotation of crops, Sang has the following excellent remarks, 

 which, although dillering from our own opinion and practice in 

 the exclusion of carrots as a preparatory crop, we give it with 

 ))leasure, and with all due deference, knowing, as we do in this 

 instance, that we diller in opinion from one who has had such 

 extensive practice in this branch of rural economy, and from 

 whose writings we have derived much information. There 

 is one kind of crop," he observes, *' which we judge peculiarly 

 scourging for a nursery, and that is carrots ; they are indeed 

 rather severe for most lands, but we have seldom found a good 

 crop of trees following one of carrots, while we have found 

 peas, beans, and especially lettuces, easy and enriching crops, 

 well adapted as preparers for succeeding crops of nursery 

 articles. In so far as regards public nurseries, we had long 

 remarked that those which partake as much of the character of 

 market gardens as nurseries, generally produce the best seed- 

 lings, and young articles for sale, provided that the ground be 



