NURSERY AND PLANTING, 



87 



stand on the alley on the opposite side of the bed, put in the 

 teeth of the rake immediately beyond the cuffing or ridge of 

 earth pushed off, and by a sudden pull draw it on the bed, 

 so as to cover its lower half equally ; and having finished this 

 half, turn round, and finish the other in like manner, and the 

 operation is completed." 



Sometimes haws are sown in drills, which, upon the whole, 

 is a much better way, as affording a freer circulation of air to 

 pass through the plants ; and as the largest and best plants 

 are always to be found on the outsides of the beds, sowing in 

 drills, instead of beds, presents a greater number of outsides, 

 and consequently a greater number of strong plants. When 

 this mode of sowing is to be adopted, it should be carried on 

 as the ground is dug ; thus having dug the breadth of eighteen 

 inches or two feet, stretch the line parallel to the trench, and 

 with a broad hoe or spade form a drill about nine or ten inches 

 broad, into which sow the seeds, and cover with the mould 

 taken either out of the drill already sown, or from the next 

 following. While performing this operation, the operator 

 should stand in the trench, which will not tread the dug 

 ground ; having sown one di'ill, proceed to dig another breadth, 

 and so on until the whole be finished. 



When the seeds of hawthorns have been one year sown, it 

 will be necessary to draw the strongest plants from the seed- 

 bed, to be transplanted out into nursery-beds or lines; in 

 taking up these plants, the greatest care ought to be taken 

 both to preserve the roots of the plants removed from injury, 

 as well as the seeds which may not yet have vegetated, and 

 the small plants left to gain strength for another season. To 

 facihtate the pulling up of the young plants, the beds should 

 be loosened with a fork in a careful manner ; and when the 

 plants are removed, the beds should be regulated so as to 

 leave them that the drought may not penetrate to the tender 

 roots of the plants which are left. Those taken up should, 

 as soon as possible, be planted either into beds, at about four 

 inches apart, plant from plant, or into lines twelve inches dis- 

 tant, and four inches apart, plant fi'om plant, where they are 

 to remain, if in beds as above, for one season only ; but if 

 in lines at the above distance, they may remain for two years, 



