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 zinc shutters c, 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 



