.:0V.] HOT-BEDS. 445 



ing it, or beating it well with the fork ; and raise the 

 whole to the heiglit of six or nine inches above the 

 tops of the covers, less or more, according to the 

 rankness of the materials. Observe, that good stable- 

 litter, or a mixture of litter with tree leaves, answer 

 equally well. 



If the weather be not extremely severe, the shoots 

 will be fit for use within three weeks, or at the m.ost 

 a month, after they have been thus covered up; and 

 unless in such a case, it will seldom be necessary to 

 add to the covering, or to renew any part of the 

 litter for six or eight weeks. This matter, of course, 

 must be regidated by the state of the weather, and 

 by trying occasionally the state of the thermometer 

 in one or two of the covers. If the mercury stand 

 at 55", or even at 50°, there will be no necessity for 

 renewing the dung. But even when this is the case, 

 it is not necessary to remove much of it : a third 

 part, or a half at the most, will be enough ; the re- 

 mainder being well mixed up with the part added, 

 if much reduced. 



When the shoots have sprung six or eight inches, 

 (and from that length to a foot), they are then fit 

 lor use, and should be carefully cut, or be twisted 

 off, as noticed in April. If the plant push a 

 flower-stalk, let it be cut clean away, as low down 

 as possible ; and there will consequently rise a fresk 

 supply of slioots, though less strong than the former, 

 which will continue rising for several weeks. In 

 March, or so soon as the plants have done producing, 

 let the covers and dung be removed, and let the 

 ground nl^out them be lightly pointed over with 



