VIM 
ULM 
danger to be apprehended from drought, 
the ground intended to form the seed¬ 
beds should be dug on the same day it is 
to be sown, choosing a part where the 
soil is naturally of a light loamy charac¬ 
ter; it must be broken fine with the 
spade, the beds marked out, and after 
just levelling with a coarse rake, the seed 
is distributed evenly over it; about half 
an inch of soil taken from the paths is 
sufficient covering, and when this is again 
raked smooth, the beds should be covered 
with mats or boughs of trees, to keep off 
the drying influence of the sun ; it may 
be necessary when the weather is very 
hot, to sprinkle the beds with water once 
or twice a week, but this is better avoided 
if possible, as it has a tendency to con¬ 
solidate the surface, and so render it 
difficult for the young plants to burst 
through. They will make their appearance 
above ground in a fortnight or three 
weeks, and then much care is necessary 
to preserve them properly moist, and at 
the same time avoid drawing them up 
weakly by too much shading. As the 
summer advances they should be gra¬ 
dually exposed so as to ripen the new 
parts thoroughly before the arrival of 
winter, and if any difficulty arises in this 
respect, or the plants are late, it will be 
well to afford a protection from cold and 
frost by laying some fern branches over 
the beds. The young plants usually 
stand from fifteen to twenty months in 
the seedling beds, and are then removed 
to nursery rows eighteen inches apart 
and nine inches between the plants : here 
they stand two or three years and are 
then fit for final planting, or are again 
placed in wider rows. The same method 
is adopted in rearing all the species of 
which seed can be obtained. 
Their production from layers is more 
commonly followed, because a couple of 
years are saved in the growth of saleable 
trees, but the result is not so satisfactory, 
as there is for a long period an inclina¬ 
tion to extend laterally, rather than grow 
erect, which requires a good deal of care 
to correct. The stool, or mother plant, 
is formed by cutting or bending down 
the stem of good sized trees, and from 
the base rises a number of strong shoots ; 
these are trimmed of their lower leaves, 
a tongue cut on the under side, at the 
part most readily brought in contact with 
the ground, and with a peg it is fastened 
securely in the earth, leaving the point 
of the shoot six or eight inches above 
the surface. August or September are 
the best months for performing the ope¬ 
ration ; and the layer has to remain un¬ 
disturbed till the return of autumn in 
the next year, when it is carefully de¬ 
tached and planted in rows along with 
two year old seedlings; and being treated 
in the same way, with the additional 
care of fastening the stem to a stake, to 
cause it to grow erect, they usually keep 
pace one with the other; but, in after 
years, it is observed that the latter ex¬ 
hibits a greater inclination to produce 
suckers from the roots and a large number 
of small, spray-like branches, than does 
the seedling. 
Grafting is only applicable in the rear¬ 
ing of ornamental specimens, but for this 
purpose is perhaps the best, as by it any 
natural defects may be remedied,—the 
weak growers are strengthened, the pen¬ 
dent elevated to a height that will admit 
a display of their character, and the 
rampant growing kinds reduced to a size 
suitable for the limited space they are 
usually destined to occupy; and, in ad¬ 
dition, it allows of a rapid increase being 
made of all that are worthy the little 
extra trouble. The wych elm is generally 
selected for stocks, because of its supe¬ 
rior vigour and freedom from suckers : 
o 
those between four and six years of age 
are the best, as with such there is less 
trouble in fitting the scion, and the union 
is found to be quicker than with those of 
greater age. The end of February or 
beginning of March is perhaps the best 
time, which is done in the usual mode of 
whip grafting, and generally at the top 
of the stock. The varieties distinguished 
by a pendent growth must of course be 
worked in this manner, and, though of 
less consequence with erect-growing kinds, 
it is thought to hasten the development 
of the head, and therefore has become a 
general practice; the scion should be 
nearly or quite as large as the stock, and 
cut so as to fit without a shoulder, so 
