THE 



FORCING GARDEN. 



INTKODUCTOKY CHAPTEE. 



As a rule our natural fruits come at a time when they 

 are not very much wanted. In hot countries they ripen 

 in time to meet the real wants of the inhabitants ; but 

 in a country like England most fruits, or at least the 

 bulk of them, ripen late, when the heat of the summer 

 is over. To meet this state of things much has been 

 done of late years in the way of growing them under, 

 glass, and a great deal of this desirable manner of culti- 

 vating them is due to that popular and successful fruit- 

 tree grower, the late Mr. Eivers, who has written so 

 much on the subject. 



There are, popularly speaking, three modes of grow- 

 ing fruits viz. the original one, consisting of open-air 

 culture ; the second is by means of the cold orchard 

 house ; and the third by subjecting the trees to artificial 

 heat, that is, applying heat by means of hot water, flues, 

 or stoves ; and at the present time even gas stoves are 

 recommended, but this last method will I fear prove not 



B 



