March.] THE NURSERY. 293 
Watering Seedling Trees, ^c. 
In dry, warm weather it will be proper to refresh the seed-beds 
of small young trees and shrubs with water nov/ and thenj a little 
at each time will doj let this be done early in the morning. 
Digging vacant Ground, 8rc. 
All requisite digging and trenching of vacant quarters of ground 
in the nursery, designed for plantations of young trees, shrubs, &c. 
this spring, should now be completed, as soon as possible, in due 
time for the reception of the respective plants intended, which, in 
the deciduous kinds particularly, should be mostly or generally 
finished by the middle or latter end of this month, and the ever- 
greens soon after that time. See Jlpril. 
Finish all digging between the rows of young trees, &c. in this 
month if possible; and also in all parts where planting is intended 
this spring, provided that the ground will work, freely. 
Propagating Gooseberries and Currants. 
The only proper method of propagating gooseberries and cur- 
rants is by cuttings; suckers should never be resorted to except in 
cases of necessity, for such will always produce others nume- 
rously from their roots, which carry off the nourishment that 
ought to go to the support of the fruit; and besides, they form such 
thickets as to smother and deprive them of the benefit of a free 
circulating air. 
The proper cuttings for planting are the shoots of the last sum- 
mer's production, of straight, clean growth; they should be taken 
from healthy trees, and such as are remarkable, according to their 
kinds, for bearing the finest fruit: let each be shortened from about 
ten to twelve or fifteen to eighteen inches long, according to its 
strength. 
Previous to planting, cut off every bud as close as possible to the 
shoot, except three, four, or five near the top, which are to be left 
to form the head of the plant. Some people imagine that the buds 
on those parts inserted in the earth grow into roots, which is by 
no means the case, nature never having designed for them such; 
the roots or fibres always strike out through the clean and smooth 
bark, but generally a little below a bud, and sometimes at the lower 
extremity of the cutting from between the bark and the wood. In 
some kinds these buds decay and die away, but in gooseberries and 
currants they always rise in suckers, and from these others innu- 
merably, which always rob the fruit, and often render even the best 
kinds not worth their room in the garden. 
Your cuttings being thus prepared, plant them in rows eighteen 
inches or two feet asunder, and about eight or nine inches apart in 
the rows, always inserting them at least six inches into the earth, 
and if the shoots are sufficienily long, eight or nine, leaving from 
