Jan.] the nursery. 5^ 
If an animal was to be only half fed, from its first having life, for 
one year, I believe that such would never grow to be of a large size 
of its kind, if afterwards it was put into better keeping; but suppose 
it was put to harder fare, it would certainly make a poor figure. 
If this same animal had been moderately fed for one year, and then 
put into worse feeding, it would have made a better beast. 
Some will say that these observations are unnecessary, as the 
ground in which fruit trees are generally planted is for the most 
part good, being particularly selected for that purpose, and that a 
soil similar thereto will do very well j granted, provided the ground 
be naturally good; but if these people had a large extent of poor 
gravelly soil, or stiff clay, to plant with forest or ornamental trees, 
live hedges, &c., would they seek out a similar spot for a nursery, 
to raise plants for planting the same.'' If so, they would discover 
their mistake when too late. This is the error I wish to correct, 
being very desirous that every attempt towards this kind of im- 
provement should prove successful; and in order to effect this, it 
is necessary to set out on right principles. 
It is very wrong to enrich nurseries with dung, particularly 
until it is very old, and almost turned into earth; although many 
eminent nurserymen dung their ground very plentifully, yet they 
do it with great judgment, and never plant trees until it is well 
rooted and mixed with the mould, so as to be quite incorporated, 
and generally take a crop or two of vegetables before they plant 
trees therein. 
It is not absolutely necessary that the soil should be exceedingly 
rich, nor over carefully manured; a medium between the two 
extremes is best; such as any good substantial garden ground; or 
good mellow pasture land, having the sward trenched to the bot- 
tom, will do very well for the growth of trees. 
As to situation it ought to be somewhat low, but dry, fully 
exposed to the sun and free air, and, if possible, where there is 
the convenience of water for the occasional watering of young 
seedlings and newly planted trees, &c. 
As to a small nursery for private use, it may be formed out of 
part of the kitchen garden, if large enough, or some other conve- 
nient place; or it may be made somewhere convenient to the 
pleasure-ground, if any, and so contrived as to lead insensibly 
into it by winding walks, so as to appear to be part of the same. 
Fences, Preparing and Laying out the Ground. 
A fence round the whole ground is necessary: this may either 
be a hedge and ditch, or a paling; the former is the cheapest, and 
in the end most durable; though in some places where rabbits 
abound, paling fences- at first are eligible for preserving the nur- 
sery from the depredations of those animals which often do great 
mischief to the young plants by barking and cropping them: a 
good hedge and ditch fence, however, may be made very effectual 
against the inroads of both men and brutes; and the most eligible 
