THE OPENING YEAR 



hundred. The ironmonger will perhaps lend a tool for Jan. 

 tightening up the wire on the end posts, which should IO-31 

 not only be deeply imbedded, but also butted, in order 

 to stand the strain. 



The drawback to wooden supports is their compara- 

 tively short life, but this can be considerably prolonged 

 by thoroughly charring the whole of the part which is 

 underground, or by pickling it in creosote. 



The intermediate poles may be much lighter than the 

 end ones, but they should be well driven down, as it is 

 desirable to have them fairly steady, especially if there is 

 a considerable length of framework. 



This matter of support can, I repeat, be attended to 

 in January, and the soil dug and manured, so that there 

 may be nothing in the way of speedy planting when the 

 time for it arrives. 



Vegetables 



The tendency is to empty rather than fill the kitchen 

 garden throughout this month, for the supply of winter 

 greens is steadily reduced, the Celery rows become 

 shorter, and Asparagus, Seakale, and Rhubarb are lifted 

 and carried indoors for forcing. But a building-up 

 process is going on all the same, both in the direction of 

 preparing ground (see first section of the present chapter), 

 and in sowing various things under glass for planting out 

 later on. 



Forcing Rhubarb. — Rhubarb may be forced just as 

 easily as Asparagus and Seakale, which have already been 

 touched upon in this chapter ; but it needs a little more 

 headroom, and consequently an ordinary frame is hardly 

 suitable. A deep frame or pit would do, but Rhubarb 

 can be forced almost anywhere if a temperature of 50° 

 to 60° can be maintained, and the bed kept moist. As 

 57 



