68 



GENERAL ADVICE 



outside of the box, and hot manure is piled around 

 the box to its top. If the weather is still cold, 

 dry light leaves or straw may be placed inside the 

 box, or a pane or sash of glass may be placed on 

 top of the box, to answer the purpose of a cold- 

 frame. Rhubarb, asparagus, sea -kale and similar 

 plants may be advanced from two to four weeks 

 by means of this method of forcing. Some gar- 

 deners use old barrels or half -barrels in place of 



71. Forcing-hill. 



the box. The box, however, is better and handier, 

 and the sides can be stored for future use. 



Plants which require a long season in which to 

 mature, and which do not transplant readily, as 

 melons and cucumbers, may be planted in forcing- 

 hills in the field. One of these hills is shown in 

 Fig. 71. The frame or mold is shown at the 

 left. This mold is a box with flaring sides and 

 no top or bottom, and provided with a handle. 

 This frame is placed with the small end down at 

 the point where the seeds are to be planted, and 

 the earth is hilled up about it and firmly packed 

 with the feet. The mold is then withdrawn, and 

 a pane of glass is laid upon the top of the mound 



