116 THE FORCING GARDEN, 
is full, carry them to the house where they are to flower, 
and place them in their flowering quarters. Now comes 
the most economical method of doing this. Some per- 
sons force them in pots, but they never do so well as 
when bedded in boxes made on purpose ; besides they 
are more troublesome to pot than to bed, and do not 
take so much room as when grown in pots. These 
boxes may be permanent, for they may be made out of 
the stage or stand—that is, the staging in the house 
may be made into troughs instead of open work, each 
step or shelf being a long box or trough, nine inches 
wide and seven inches deep; or separate and portable 
boxes, of the same width and depth, may be used. 
Place each plant, as you take it from the barrow, in its 
place at once, without changing and shifting, as the 
less they are moved about, the less danger there is of 
losing the soil from the balls. The plants may be 
placed as close as they can be, or nearly so, filling up 
the spaces around each, as you proceed, with fine soil 
like that used for striking the pipings, and fitting it in 
firmly, filling up also to the top of each trough or box. 
When all are in, give them a good watering ; shade the 
house for a short time at first, till the plants get estab- 
lished, frequently syringing them overhead. Some 
air must be admitted to dry them off, or some of the 
foliage of the Pinks, being thick, will probably rot off. 
Keep up a heat of 55° or 60°, admitting air during 
October, and on the mild days in November. When 
air cannot be given them by opening the front lights, 
draw up the zine shutters ¢, which will admit it without 
lowering the temperature, as the air will, in this way, 
come into immediate contact with the hot-water pipes. 
Keep up the temperature, give plenty of water, and 
