76 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



allowed to fall on the surface of the soil only, and to be of sufficient 

 quantity as to penetrate to the roots. It is absolutely necessary also 

 that the water should be of the same temperature as the interior of 

 the hand-glass, and for this end a potful should be placed in the bed 

 over-night, so as to be ready for use the following day ; and after 

 each watering, the hand-glass should be kept close down for the 

 space of half-au-hour. When the plants have almost divested them- 

 selves of their seminal envelope, they should be " pricked out " into 

 pots about four or five inches in diameter at the top ; but here again 

 care must also be had that these pots, and the soil with which they 

 are to be filled, should be placed in the frame over-night, in the same 

 way as the water is directed to be done, otherwise, the plants being 

 very tender, if repotted into cold soil they are very likely to be 

 chilled aud checked in their growth. In " pricking them out," they 

 should be put three in a pot, in a triangular position, or, as the 

 country people call it, rook-toe-wise. As soon as they have got the 

 two rough leaves, they must be " stopped," as indicated above ; and 

 after having thrown out lateral shoots, they will be ready for " ridging 

 out." Now this sowing of the seeds must be begun simultaneously 

 with the first superposition of the frame on the bed, and by the time 

 the bed, that is, the interior of the frame, is sufficiently sweeteued 

 and properly earthed, the plants will be ready to be received iu their 

 permanent positions. 



For the purpose of properly ridging out the plants, they must 

 be turned out of the pots, without disturbing the solid ball of roots, 

 and to do this requires some degree of skill on the part of the un- 

 initiated practitioner. The way this is performed is by the operator 

 placing his right hand flat on the top of the pot, with his fingers so 

 disposed that the plants will be placed between them. The pot 

 must then be inverted, with the mouth downwards, and by slightly 

 tapping its edge ou the frame, the plants will fall into the hand with 

 their roots undisturbed, and enveloped in a complete ball of earth. 

 Previous to this, however, a hole should be made in the centre of 

 each hillock, of sufficient tize and depth to receive the bails of the 

 plants; in these holes the plants are to be placed, and then the earth 

 drawn all round and over the balls, close up to the neck of the plants. 

 This done, they should be slightly watered with tepid water, as 

 before described, and the lights be kept close for an hour or two ; 

 after which they may again be opened a little at the back, to allow 

 the escape of the rising steam. The plants will now begin to branch 

 and grow freely ; and as the side-shoots extend themselves, they 

 should be trained regularly, or at equal distances from each other, 

 over the whole bed. If the plants are well managed and healthy, 

 they will, in the course of ten or twelve days after being planted 

 out, produce flowers ; and whenever there is the appearance of a 

 fruit being set, the extremity of the shoot should be immediately 

 picked off, one joint above where the fruit is set : this gardeners 

 call " stopping." As the plants extend themselves, the shoots should 

 be pegged down with small hooked sticks, to keep them in their 

 proper places. The chief attention required now will be a judicious 

 supply of water and fresh air. Of the former two or three appli- 



