414 THE NURSERY. [June, 
have a worse appearance than a nursery overgrown with weeds; 
therefore, this caution cannot be too often repeated. Observe also, 
to keep the seed-beds in which the seeds of trees and shrubs were 
sown, perfectly clean, for these plants being young, are soon greatly 
injured, if not totally destroyed, when overrun with weeds. 
The beds of small young tender seedlings should now be shaded 
from the mid-day sun, particularly the pines, firs, and other ever- 
greens in general; and also the more delicate and rare deciduous 
trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. They, however, must not be 
kept close nor shaded too long a time, for that would draw them 
up weak and tender; therefore, give but a slight shading from about 
ten to four or five o'clock, and that only when the sun is powerful 
and no clouds interrupt its rays. 
The more choice sorts of new planted trees, that is, such as were 
planted late in the spring should have occasional waterings; and 
observe to renew the mulch about their roots where it is decayed; 
for at this season the moisture of the earth will be soon exhaled 
and the young fibres dried up when this is neglected, besides it 
will save much trouble in watering. 
The seedling-beds of all kinds of trees and shrubs, but more 
especially the evergreens, will require frequent waterings in dry 
weather; let it always be given late in the afternoon, frequently 
and moderately, as observed in page 388. 
Transplanting Seedling Pines and Firs. 
It has been advised by some writers on gardening, of considera- 
ble celebrity, to plant out in this month pines, firs, &c. from the 
seed-beds; and asserted "that they would be much stronger and 
better prepared to live through the winter by this treatment than if 
suffered to remain in the seed-beds, as their roots would be fixed 
in the ground and their stems shorter." The reverse of this I 
have experienced in upwards of twenty years' practice, and there- 
fore have here noticed it, lest my readers should be led astray by 
such respectable authorities. The true method of treating these 
and such plants is, frequently during the summer months, as they 
advance in growth, to sift some loose earth over them in the seed- 
beds till it comes up to the seed leaves, by which the stems are 
protected, and, as it were, shortened without disturbing their roots 
or checking their growth; and, besides, it tends to keep the mois- 
ture confined to the earth by preventing its too sudden evaporation, 
and the loose sifted mould attracts the dews and imbibes the rains, 
when such fall, by which means the plants are kept cool, moist, and 
in a constant growing state. 
Propagating Evergreens and other Trees and Shrubs by Layers. 
Most kinds of evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs may 
now be propagated by laying the present year's shoots; being soft 
and tender, they will emit roots much more freely than the older 
wood; and several sorts that would not root for two years if laid in 
