86 THE FORCING GARDEN. 
good bed being placed on the floor h, where the roots 
may remain for years and give flowers annually at an 
early season, by having one flow and one return three- 
inch pipe for both pits, that is, the flow pipe to run 
through the middle of the front pit close to the par- 
tition wall f, which wall must be pigeon-holed so as 
to admit of the heat passing to the back of the pit. No 
other flooring is required beyond the clean firm ground 
or gravel for the pipes to lie on. One small boiler is all 
that will be needful to heat these pits, for no high 
temperature is necessary in this case. 
The floor on which the bed is made, and in which 
the plants are set, may be made of common house-slates 
of a large size and laid double. If slates of the length 
required, two feet six inches, cannot be had (although 
I think they can), oak plank may be used, but slates or 
paving tiles, as recommended for the Melon pit, are 
the best. This floor must be quite level, resting on 
the chamber walls from the front to the middle, com- 
ing halfway on to the middle wall; and on it the soil 
must be put for the bed. This should consist of good 
maiden loam one part, decayed manure one part, and 
good pit or river sand one part; not sea sand, nor sand 
containing mundic or any injurious minerals. The 
bed should be one foot thick from the floor in front, 
but more depth may be allowed at the back, thus 
giving it a slope towards the front ; one foot six inches 
will be ample for the depth of it at the back. ; 
The soil should be chopped fine with the spade, and 
for the Lilies some fine sifted soil should be placed 
on the surface in which to insert the plants; but for 
the Hellebores no finer than what the bed is composed of 
is necessary. In the month of October the Hellebores 
