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either with evergreens, flowering-lhrubs, ot foreft- 
trees : and in Holland their Nurferies are principally 
for flowers ; fome few of them, indeed, propagate 
tender exotic plants. But thole Nurferies in the 
neighbourhood of London do, feveral of them, in- 
clude all thefe, and from hence rnoft of the curious 
perfons abroad are fupplied with furniture for their 
gardens. But I do not propofe in this place, to treat 
of thefe extenfive Nurferies, or to give a defcription 
of them, therefore fliall confine myfelf to treat of 
fuch Nurferies only as are abfolutely neceffary for all 
lovers of planting, to have upon the fpot where they 
defign to make their plantation. For if thefe are large, 
the expence of carrying a great number of trees, if the 
dift-ance is great, will be no fmall article, befide the ha- 
zard of their growing ; which, when the plants have 
been trained up in good land, and removed to an in- 
different one, is very great. Therefore it is of the 
Utmoft confequence to every planter, to begin by 
making a Nurfery. But in this article I mult beg 
leave to obferve, that a Nurfery fliould not be fixed 
to any particular fpot : I mean by this, that it would 
be wrong to continue the raifing of trees any num- 
ber of years upon the fame fpot of ground, becaufe 
hereby the ground will be fo much exhaufted by the 
trees, as to render it unfit for the fame purpofe. 
Therefore all good Nurfery gardeners fhift and change 
their land from time to time, for when they have 
drawn off the trees from a a fpot of ground, they 
either plant kitchen herbs, or other things, upon the 
ground for a year or two, by which time, as aifo by 
dunging and trenching the land, it is recovered, and 
made fit to receive other trees. But this they are 
obliged to from neceflity, being confined to the 
lame land •, which is not the cafe with thole gen- 
tlemen, who have large extent of ground in the 
country. Therefore all fuch perfons I would ad- 
vife to make Nurferies upon the ground which is in- 
tended for planting, where a fufficient number of the 
trees may be left ftanding, after the others have been 
drawn out to plant in other places ; which, for all 
large growing trees, but particularly fuch as are cul- 
tivated for timber, will be found by much the moll 
advantageous method ; for all thofe trees which come 
up from the feed, or which are tranfplanted very 
young into the places where they a're defigned to re- 
main, will make a much greater progrefs, and become 
larger trees, than any of thofe which are tranfplanted 
at a greater age. Therefore the Nurferies Ihould be 
thinned early, by removing all thofe trees which are 
intended for other plantations while they are young, 
becaufe hereby the expence and trouble of (taking, wa- 
tering, &c. will be faved, and the trees will fucceed 
much better. But in expofed fituations, where there 
are Nurferies made, it will be neceffary to permit the 
trees, to ftand much longer ; that, by growing clofe 
together, they may fhelter each other, and draw them- 
fclves up •, and thefe fhould be thinned gradually, as 
the frees advance ; for, by taking away too many at 
firft, the cold will check the growth of the remaining 
trees. But then thofe trees which are taken out from 
thefe Nurferies, after a certain age, fliould not be de- 
pended on for planting ; and it will be prudence ra- 
ther to confign them for fuel, than by attempting to 
remove them large, whereby, in endeavouring to get 
them up with good roots, the roots of the ftanding 
trees will be often much injured. 
What has been here propofed, muff be underftood 
for all large plantations in parks, woods, &c. but 
thofe Nurferies which are only intended for the raifing 
of evergreens, flowering Ihrubs, or plants which are 
defigned to emfadlifh gardens, may be confined to one 
foot, becaufe a fmall eompafs of ground will be fuf- 
ficient for this purpofe. Two or three acres of land 
employed this way, will be fufficient for the moll ex- 
tenfive defigns, and one acre will be full enough for 
thofe of moderate extent. And fuch a fpot of ground 
may be always employed for lowing the feeds of fo- 
reign trees and plants, as alfo for raifing many forts 
-gf bie^iial and perennial flowers, to tranfplant into 
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the borders of the pleafure-garden, and for raifing 
many kinds of bulbous-rooted flowers from feedst 
whereby a variety of new forts may be obtained annu- 
ally, which will recompenl'e for the trouble and ex- 
pence, and will moreover be an agreeable diverfion to 
ail thoie perfons who delight in the amufements of 
gardening. 
Such a Nurfery as this Ihould be conveniently fitu- 
ated for water ; for where that js wanting, there muff 
be an expence attending the carriage of water in dry- 
weather. It fliould alfo be as near the houfe as it can 
with conveniency be admitted, in order to render it eafy 
to vifit at all times of the year, becaufe it is abfolutely 
neceffary that it fliould be under the infpebtion of the 
mailer, for unlefs he delights in it, there will be little 
hopes of fuccefs. The foil of this Nurfery fliould alfo 
be good, and not too heavy and ftiff, for fuch land 
will be very improper for lowing moil forts of feeds ; 
becaule as this will detain the moifture in the fpring 
and winter, the feeds of moll tender things, efpecially 
of flowers, will rot in the ground, if fown early ; 
therefore where perfons are confined to fuch land* 
there fliould be a good quantity of fand, allies, and 
other light manures buried, in order to feparate the 
parts, and pulverize the ground •, and if it is thrown 
up in ridges, to receive the froft in winter, it will be 
of great ufe to it, as will alfo the frequent forking, 
or ftirring of the ground, both before and after it is 
planted. 
The many advantages which attend the having fuch 
a Nurfery, are fo obvious to every perfon who has 
turned his thoughts in the leaft to this fubjecft, that it 
is needlefs for me to mention them here ; and there- 
fore I fliall only beg leave to repeat here what I have 
fo frequently recommended, which is, the carefully 
keeping the ground always clean from weeds ; for if 
thefe are permitted to grow, they will rob the youno- 
trees of their nourifliment. Another principal buffi 
nefs is, to dig the ground between the young plants 
at leaft once every year, to loofen it for the roots to 
ftrike out ; but if the ground is ftiff, it will be better if 
it is repeated twice a year, viz. in Oblober andMarch, 
which will greatly promote the growth of the plants, 
and prepare their roots for tranfplanting. 
But as there may be fome perfons who may have the 
curiofity to raife their own fruit-trees, which is what 
I would recommend to every one who is a lover of 
good fruit, becaufe the uncertainty in procuring the 
intended kinds of each fruit is very great, when taken 
from common Nurfery-gardens, fo that moft gentle- 
men who have planted many, have conftantly com- 
plained of this difappointment ; but befide this, there 
is another inconvenience, which, for want of fldll, is 
fcarce taken notice of, which is, the taking the buds 
or grafts from young trees in the Nurferies which 
have not borne fruit; this having been frequently re- 
peated, renders the trees fo railed as luxuriant as 
Willows, making Ihoots to the top of the walls in 
two or three years, and are rarely after fruitful with 
the moft fkilful management : I lhall therefore treat 
of the proper method to make a Nurfery of thefe 
trees. 
In the doing of which you muft obferve the follow- 
ing rules : 
i. That the foil in which you make the Nurfery be 
not better than that where the trees are to be planted 
out for good ; the not obferving this is the reafon 
that trees are often at a ftand, or make but little pro- 
grefs for three or four years after they come from the 
Nurfery, as it commonly happens to fuch trees as are 
railed near London, and carried into the northern parts 
of England, where, being planted in a poor foil and a 
much colder fituation, the trees feldom fucceed well ; 
therefore it is by far the better method [when you have 
obtained the forts you would propagate) to raife a Nur- 
fery of the feveral forts of flocks proper for the vari- 
ous kinds of fruit, upon which you may bud or 
graft them ; and thofe trees which are thus raifed up- 
on the foil, and in the fame degree of warmth, where 
they are to be planted, will fucceed much better than 
thofe 
