242 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE, 



rhubarb, and yet in a deep, damp, strong soil, it is scarcely necessary 

 to use manure at all ; certainly, on our oak and wheat growing clay 

 we can do wonders with rhubarb without help of manure. 



FoKCi>'a. — The simplest and, generally speaking, most useful 

 mode of forcing is to proceed as follows : — When a frost has occurred 

 3U October (and not before), clean up the plantation, and put a 

 barrowful of half-rotten stable or stye manure over every plant, 

 taking care not to cover the crown more than three inches at the very 

 utmost. On this point mistakes are often made, and the tender 

 early stalks are unable to push through the hard cake of stuff above 

 them at the time when they are most wanted and valued. The two 

 or three inches of manure should be spread around the stool to 

 insure some benefit to the roots of the plant, for, as a matter of 

 fact, the crown does not want it ; for the crown, indeed, we have 

 next to provide. At the turn of the year, put on the crown of every 

 plant that should give an early supply about a barrow-lond of light 

 dry litter. If you employ half-rotten manure, it may answer per- 

 fectly, but the comparatively weak and very early growing varieties 

 cannot always push through stuff that has dried in flinty flakes, and 

 it will be found in practice that our plan of operations is preferable 

 to that commonly in use, because it insures a plentiful supply of 

 early sticks that can be easily drawn, whereas stable manure put on 

 after the turn of the year will prevent many of the sticks rising, and 

 reall}' should be used only for the assistance of the more robust and 

 later varieties. Very well, remembering that complete success 

 depends ofttimes on the observance of trifles, the next business is to 

 find a lot of old boxes, drain pipes, any kind of cover that can be 

 put over the other to keep in the warmth and exclude the cold. 



At the risk of appearing prolix, we shall invite attention to a few 

 facts of a representative kind. On the 11th of January, 1861, the 

 temperature of the earth at a depth of two feet at Chiawick was 36^'', 

 and the minimum temperature of the air the same day was 19*^. On 

 the 11th of January, 1862, the temperature of the earth at a depth 

 of two feet was 43°, and the minimum temperature of the air on the 

 same day was 30°. On the 11th of January, 18G3, the temperature 

 of the earth at a depth of two feet was 431'^, and the minimum tem- 

 perature of the air on the same day was 2S'^. On the 11th of 

 January, 1864, the temperature of the earth at a depth of two feet 

 was 40^'-', and the minimum temperature of the air on the same day 

 was 29*^. On the 11th of January, 186-5, the temperature of the 

 earth at a depth of two feet was 44*^, and the minimum temperature 

 of the air on the same day was 40^. On the 11th of January, 1866, 

 the temperature of the earth at a depth of two feet was 48°, and the 

 minimum temperature of the air on the same day was 17'^. On the 

 11th of January, 1807, the temperature of the earth at a depth of 

 two feet was 42", and the minimum temperature of the air on the 

 same day was 16*:*. On the 11th of January, 1868, the temperature 

 of the earth at a depth of two feet was 398, and the minimum tem- 

 perature of the air on the same day was 29"^. If we go on for ever 

 the tame kind of story will be told, and the facts cited will suffice 

 to indicate that wlien early growth of outdoor plants is desired. 



