42 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK I. 't'o this might something be expected concerning the watering of our 

 '"^^"'''"^^ Seminaries and new Plantations ; which indeed require some useful 

 directions, especially in that you do by hand. Pour it not with too great 

 a stream on the stem of the plant, which washes and drives away the 



then sow the seeds, and sift the remaining earth over them. When you have sown the 

 seeds, the beds must be hooped, and covered with mats to screen them from the sun ; 

 but when it rains, take them off; and if it be very dry weather, the beds must be 

 frequently and gently watered. In about a month, many of the young plants will appear ; 

 towards September the mats may be taken away, but before winter the beds must be 

 well weeded, and a quarter of an inch of ashes sifted over them. In spring the rest will 

 appear; and during the summer they must be constantly weeded, frequently watered in 

 dry weather, and have some earth sifted over them. The February following they must 

 be taken out of the seed-bed and planted in rows three feet asunder, and each plant at 

 eighteen inches distance, where they are to remain with the usual care of digging 

 between the rows, and hoeing the weeds in summer. 



BEECH. 



Gather a sufficient quantity of mast, about the middle of September, when it begins 

 to fall ; spread it upon a mat, in an airy place, for six days, to dry ; and after that you 

 may either proceed to sowing it immediately, or you may put it up in bags, in order to 

 sow it neai-er the spring ; which method I would rather advise, as it will keep very well, 

 and there will be less danger of having it destroyed by mice or other vermine, by which 

 kinds of animals these seeds are greatly relished. The ground being ready for the seeds, 

 line your beds out four feet wide, with alleys a foot and a half or two feet broad, for this 

 is the properest width for raising the seeds of all sorts of forest-trees ; let the earth be raked 

 out of each bed, one inch deep ; and, after having levelled the bottom, and gently 

 tapped it down with the spade, sow the seeds all over it, even and regular ; then tap them 

 down with the back of the spade, and cover them over with mould an inch deep. In the 

 spring of the year, many of the plants will make their appearance, whilst other's will not 

 come up till the following spring. After they have been two years in the seminary, they 

 must be planted, in the nursery way, on some double-dug gi'ound. The rows should be 

 two feet and a half asunder, and the plants at eighteen inches distance in the rows. 

 The rows ought to be kept clean of weeds in the summer, and dug between every 

 winter. Here they may remain till they are to be planted out for continuance. 



ASH 



Procure the keys from healthy young thriving trees in October or November ; rake some 

 of the earth off into the alleys, to lower the bed about an inch ; sow the keys moderately 

 thick, then throw the earth back again lightly with a spade, or else sift it over them, an 

 inch thick, and rake it level. In spring, with a very small light iron rake, (the teeth 

 about an inch asunder,) rake off the moss, pull up the weeds, and again sift a little earth 

 over the beds. They will want no other care the first year, except weeding. The 



