OF FOREST-TREES. 



43 



mould from the roots and fibres ; but at such distance as it may percolate CHAP, 

 into the earth, and carry its virtue to them, with a shallow excavation, """^^ 

 or circular basin, about the stalk ; and which may be defended from 

 being too suddenly exhausted and drunk up by the sun, and taken away 



second spring, in the first open weather in February, rake off very gently the earth as 

 before, sift fresh over them, about half an inch thick, and in March and April the young 

 plants will appear in plenty. During the summer they must be constantly weeded, and 

 in very dry weather, now and then watered; in October weed them again, and sift 

 some coal-ashes half an inch thick over them ; but if the heavy rains in the summer have 

 laid the roots bare, it will be necessary to sift a little earth amongst them first. No 

 persons, unless they have practised this method of sifting earth and ashes over their 

 seedling plants before winter, can conceive the advantage they receive from it; it 

 strengthens the stems, prevents moss from growing amongst them, and secures them from 

 being turned out of the ground by the frost. The next spring prepare some beds six feet 

 wide, with a path of two feet betwixt each ; plant all of a size in each bed, at one foot 

 square, first shortening the tap-roots, and also the side ones ; in this bed they must remain 

 for two years, hoeing the ground when any weeds appear, and against winter sprinkling 

 a few ashes amongst them. After standing at this distance for two years, they will want 

 removing ; they must then be planted out into your nursery, in rows three feet asunder, 

 and each plant at one foot distance, where they are to remain till they are wanted for 

 planting out for good ; but observe to keep the weeds constantly down when small, for 

 then a labourer with a Dutch hoe can clean near half an acre in a day, and your trees 

 will thrive amazingly by such a practice. 



As the Ash keys do not make their appearance till the second spring, some judicious 

 persons recommend them to be bedded in dry mould, and treated in the manner of haws. 

 This method has many apparent advantages. In general the keys are sown too thick, 

 which makes the plants come up tall and weak ; a practice much to be condemned. 



LARCH 



In the winter let a sufficient quantity of cones be procured, and kept till the spring of 

 the year. Just before sowing, let them be opened or torn into four quarters by a knife, 

 the point of which must be thrust exactly down the centre, so that the seeds in their 

 respective places may not be damaged. Formerly, great pains were bestowed in getting 

 at the seeds, by cutting off the scales of the cones singly, and letting the seeds drop. 

 This occasioned great expense to those who wanted a quantity of seeds; so that it is 

 now wholly laid aside, for the more easy method of opening them with knives, and then 

 threshing them. A certain price is generally allowed per thousand to the poor for opening 

 them. When a sufficient quantity is opened, they should be threshed in a room, which 

 will divide the scales, and dislodge the seeds, without injuring many of them. Three 

 thousand cones will generally produce about a pound of good seed. The cones being 

 sufficiently broken, and the seeds threshed out, they should be winnowed or sieved, to 

 have clear seeds ; after which they will be ready for sowing in April. Let the seminary 



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