172 THE PLEASURE, OR [FEB. 



Having such a frame in readiness, fill the inside thereof to a level 

 with the front with fresh tanner's bark, into which plunge your pots ; 

 or, if you have not the convenience of bark, sink a pit into the earth 

 about eighteen inches deep, which fill to the surface with fresh horse- 

 dung; place the frame thereon, and add more dung till it reaches 

 within six inches of the upper part of the frame in front, then fill 

 the remainder to that level with good dry earth. 



In either case plunge the pots to their rims in the bark or earth, 

 and add a lining of good horse-dung to the back and ends of the 

 frame to its entire height, which will produce a strong growing heat 

 in the inside, sufficient for any purpose of forcing small plants. The 

 glasses being placed on this kind of frame with a considerable degree 

 of elevation, will receive the rays of the sun in a more direct man- 

 ner than if not elevated so much, by which means more heat will 

 be accumulated. 



Shelves may be erected in this kind of frame towards the back 

 part, if the plants intended to be forced are not large, and the lining 

 can be renewed as often as necessary. 



DRESS AND DIG THE BORDERS, BEDS, ETC. 



When the weather permits, let the flower-beds and borders in ge- 

 neral be thoroughly cleared from weeds and from every kind of litter, 

 for neatness in those parts of the garden is agreeable at all times, 

 but more particularly at this season. 



Therefore, let the surface of the beds and borders be lightly and 

 carefully loosened with a hoe in a dry day, and let them be neatly 

 raked, which will give an air of liveliness to the surface, and the 

 whole will appear neat and very pleasing to the eye, and well worth 

 i he labor. 



Likewise, if any borders, beds, &c., were not dug last autumn or 

 winter, it should now be done, ready for the reception of flower- 

 plants, seeds, &c., that the whole may appear fresh and neat. 



PRUNE FLOWERING SHRUBS. 



Finish pruning the hardy deciduous flowering-shrubs where wanted. 

 In doing this work, observe to cut out all dead wood, and where any 

 of the branches are too long or grow straggling, let them be short- 

 ened or cut off close, as you shall see necessary; and likewise, where 

 the branches of different shrubs interfere or run into each other, 

 shorten them so that each may stand singly and clear of another, 

 then all the different shrubs will show themselves distinctly and to 

 the best advantage. 



When the shrubs are pruned, let the cuttings be cleared away and 

 the ground be neatly dug between and about all the plants, observing 

 to take off all suckers arising from the roots. Nothing looks better 

 in a shrubbery than to see the ground neat and fresh between the 

 flowering-shrubs and evergreens, &c., especially in such clumps and 

 other compartments where the shrubs stand distant. 



But as sometimes particular parts of a shrubbery are on some 



