DIRECTIONS FOR SOWING AND REARING TREE SEEDS.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 371, 29 September 1874, Page 2

DIRECTIONS FOR SOWING AND REARING TREE SEEDS.

JLl!<' following directions ihivj been f>rw>irdoJ gr*l is U cell lord throughout thid and othoi- districts bv the AcdnnaWalton Society; out, us it is probable that inunj of oui readers m a y not leceivu u copy, we lime r» pi inti'd them foi Cneir boiioltt. Chouse 1 will-sheltered piece of ground of s>ii(liu cut spaa (o quo Iho u>uug plants room tp grow Ji*ct 1> without b.-nif. crowded ; dig it o\oi'i one spade or about nine int^jics deep lino nil' bods of four oi fixe i'uet in uidlh, \mlli alleys bctwei i l.hem «f a spado'o widih ; dig out the ulleys. a. id sc.itlcr U« aod over tl.e surface oi'tliu lhu bed*, lliou wjlU u rake draw the lumps of hoi! in to tho ullojt, leaving a smooth, den. surface for sowing Uil seed» ou. II the ««i omul is wet it vwi be belief to dijj it roujrhlv, nnd let. it it miin exposed to tin nMTirwjilu're until it is in pooi working order beforo sowing the b <d ; il will then rake freely. tin* tho sied uero*s tho bods of about six inchoj apart Tm» ft vi's fri i' n euros fur air lo the base of the }oung plant* and n..ikcs it < any to clean tho bed of wieds. VVhon thi seed is small, »uch os blue-gum, &c , cover very lightly will finely-sifted enrth, mid »n\v just under the surluce. Tin handle of t!<e rake laid ocwssm the bed and j resscd Rent); down will give a line of eullioiont depth. For larger seeds such as pine, &.c, draw a line across the bods with a hoe oi 'ptide ol from a quarter to holl'-nn-inch in depth, nccordinj to the size of the sued, then cover with fiiu-ly-sifted sod Largo seeds, nich ns acorns, &c., shculd be placed about ai inch apart, and coieivd witlt mi inch of sod. After sowing the sued tap the bel oW with t»he bjick of thol^pado.— Where |irui;li"iiblo it is better to sow tlie acorn vhjbre yot wiali the plant permanently to remain. If Ibuld or hirds uro likely to get on to tho seed beds il will be necesMiry to protect U»e seeds in some way A Jew thorn bougos laid across until (he snetls aie up will prevent sciatehing; nnd when the young pliiuls ajipcar a dusting o; lime in the evoiiing, and u tew csibbage loaves laid about thi b.'ds for trijM will bo necessary to stay tbc lavagos of th< slug ; or wet n pitee of giound and place an old sack or piece ol cloth over it, nud the t>lug-» will creep under the covering w Inch enn be removed in the morning and the slugs destroyed When tho ueiiHirr becomes dr) nnd warm it would b« well lo lay along tho rows befwrou the young plants sonu shoit litter, l>> prevent tho rays of thof-uu from injuring flu young roots near I lie surface of the sod, and if they sull'm from continued drought watering will be necessary. Ucfore the seeds co. no up a crop of woods I requontly appear, which si-ould be removed wlion yoang, olberwiso there is danger of injuring the roots ol young plants in pulluuj I hem up. Tninspliiiting should bo performed jn the month of Juno. Prepare a pii ct> of grounil by digging and picking the weeds, roots, &c.) eirolully, so that it may bo perfectly clean; tuke up tho young plants from tho w»ed bods, preserving as many of the rooty u,u injured us uosodde, uud [ilunt, theininiuwi in tho ncwly-propiirod grolinfl, allowing audicient spa.jo fjr thein'to grt)w frcoly in the rows without touching each other and width enough between tho rows to allow of hoeing and cleaning ; if noeosiary scatter lome loqse stable litter betweon the plan] s during the summer months. Should the plant not be of Bufliciont size and strung Ui at tile following Jun* for planting them pcrniuncntly they had beffier bo reinovcu in t ho sumo maniur as in the previous June, and lelt b f row for another season. VVhtn peMinitiently planted a short itake should be driven in diagonally, so that it cioba the main utein of the plant about ais inches or so abjvc the surfaci of the ground, and tio tho plant to tho stuke with a piece of flax or linen rag ; in bleak and exposed hituiitioiis this is especially neccisary, Boforo plutiting it will bo nquisito. t6 prepare a) pkee ioj.' their reception by diguing a small round hole for Kaon plant and leaving tho sod dugout uu thu surface, say about ihree weeks or u month bt loie pluiitmy, and out a stake ready for each plant so Dint tlieiu "ill be no moie delay in the planting than is absolutely nccLgjary ; do not plunl too deep. Dull, showery weather, is tin- best for the operation. , There am two points in connection with the preparation of the soil of which it is iniposshblo to ouT-rato the importance to all who hope to grow trees -successfully, viz, : that the soil should be." m good hcuit," and that it should bo well draind added .just before Lho si eds ai c sowod ground manured he pro* lous jear, bik-Ii as has baon usid in the past seaion lor n onio i bj I or Io«* cjlji'v, will bo in tho best condition — leh, but in n Hi»«v, an I w>rked hnw. To *oouro tho latter requisite a plan may bo adopted which luia been followed with gioat sncce.-<s in in.my places, and oapeoially at Wellington. A bod of coineniont buo w maikcd out, ami excavated to a depth of about 18 iiiehoe ; thon tilled in with 6 or 9 hehoj of buck rubbish, faUiiiglo, or other aiicli material uqni lln« tho oarlh perpared asabo\e suggooled by previous munuimg. For th.i former it is not desirable thai fri sh manure iliulrl be and on tho lop about an muh oi burnt eiuth, in which the sui'iia are li^ht cinbfddi'd, imdu IttLle tnud to cover m the wliole. Tlua plan h.is the double advantage of seeiirmga thoroughly olli- cieut diaunigi* to the bed, and of prevent ign llio top root irom stiilvin^ too deep into the ground. }?ov suiull qutinliliei of eitds, wJien* it woidd lie neccHsnry to ))iv)iiiro so largo a hpnce as tho abuve-dn»enbed boil would [>ecuji,v, u »i l'd pan, oi a woud?u box, not above oor ii iuuhen tl.'ep, i» rccoiuuiiiulcd.