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 /, 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 muiidic 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 



