NURSERY AND PLANTING. 



63 



on account of its lateness in coming into leaf in the spring; 

 others because it sheds them too soon, and others deny it any 

 elegance of outline, with many more objections to which it ap- 

 pears to be unfortunately liable ; be this, however, as it may, 

 it is evident that this prejudice has existed for ages, for in ge- 

 neral there are few trees of this kind to be met with in parks, 

 where the other timber-trees appear to luxuriate. 



The ash is propagated by seeds, which are annually pro- 

 duced in vast quantities, and vegetate freely. The seeds are 

 ripe in October, and should then be collected and carried to a 

 convenient part of the nursery, and laid in a flat heap, mixed 

 with light sandy earth ; care, however, must be taken that they 

 be not laid too thick, for if this be not attended to, there is dan- 

 ger to be apprch(Midcd from fermentation, to which they are 

 liable when laid in too great a quantity together. To prevent 

 too rapid a state of fermentation, they should be frequently 

 turned while in this state ; and when all danger of ferment- 

 ation is over, they may be covered up till wanted for sowing. 

 Some sow these seeds the spring subsequent to the gather- 

 ing, others not until the autumn, and others not until the 

 second spring following. Seeds of many trees may be kept in 

 the rot-pit, as it is called, one or two, or even more years, with- 

 out their vegetating, provided that they be excluded from the 

 action of air and warmth. 



Any part of the nursery, if not too wet, is suitable for sowing 

 the seeds of this tree, as it is hardy and not liable to lose its 

 vegetating principle. Before the operation of sowing is in- 

 tended, the ground should be regularly dug and levelled, and if 

 in a very poor state a little manure may be applied. When 

 the ground is dug, the whole sliould be divided into beds of 

 four feet in breadth, and on them the seeds should be sown, 

 and regularly covered to the depth of half an inch, or rather 

 more. Some nurserymen sow in broad drills, as is often prac- 

 tised for spinach in tjie kitchen-garden, and, by this means, the 

 seedling plants have a greater share of air than when in broad 

 beds, particularly when they come up thick, and are not thinned 

 out sufKciently soon. During their stay in the seed-beds, they 

 should be regularly weeded, which is all that is recpiired till 

 they be lit fur tran:?planting out into nursery lines, which will 



