Jan.] THE NURSERY. 51 
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 pool 
figure. It this same animal had been moderately fed for one year f 
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; 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 un- 
til 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 ex- 
tremes 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 ex- 
posed to the sun, and free air, and, if possible, where there is the 
convenience of water, for the occasional watering of young seed- 
lings, and newly transplanted 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 plea- 
sure-ground, if any; and so contrived, as to lead insensibly into it, 
by winding walks, so as to appear to be a 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 the 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 
