112 THE FORCING GARDEN. 



plants that are intended for forcing, they must be pre- 

 pared for some time previously, and perhaps upon the 

 whole, Pinks and Carnations require more of this 

 preliminary preparation than any other class. A failure 

 can scarcely arise if proper steps are taken to fit the 

 plants to the work, nor is there anything that will better 

 repay the trouble ; for a strong and well developed 

 Pink or Carnation will give an abundance of fine flowers 

 which may fetch from 2s. to 4s. per dozen, in the 

 months of March and April. 



Now I will suppose a house capable of holding 2,000 

 plants, and that each of these will give, say only 10 

 good flowers ; this, however, is a low calculation, nume- 

 rically speaking ; but to make sure, we will say 10 good 

 flowers to each plant, these at 3d. each (the lowest 

 price): 20,000 flowers at ll. 5s. per 100= 125?. per 

 10,000; double this sum and we have the net sum of 

 2501. for Pink and Carnation flowers from this house. 

 Now some will say, < It is easy to calculate, but can you 

 do it ? ' Well, I will see presently, but I beg to remind 

 the reader that this, like making 620?. from one acre 

 of land, is not to be done by putting down figures, nor 

 by talking about it, and glorying over the results by 

 anticipation, nor without some trouble, good judgment 

 and expense too. Those who dream of getting 20,000 

 flowers, and 250L cash, must not deviate one step from 

 the royal road to such success ; and I would advise no 

 one to calculate upon such results, except they first 

 count the cost, or rather make up their mind whether 

 they can or will do as I should do; men frequently 

 reckon upon great results without lawfully striving to 

 obtain them; others censure an idea which is to all 

 intents and purposes quite practicable, and condemn 



