JAN.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 31 



with light dry earth, or old, or new tan-bark, six or eight inches 

 thick, in which to plunge the pots of flowers, or those of early- 

 esculents, such as kidney-beans, peas, srawberries, sallading, &c. 



By Bark-bed heat. ...This kind of forcing frame, or rather forcing, 

 house, is worked by aid of a tanner's bark hot-bed, formed in a 

 pit within-side the whole length. 



This frame may be formed either of wood or brick -work, and 

 fronted, &c. with sashes of glass like the former ; the length may 

 be ten, twenty, or thirty feet, or more ; eight or ten wide, and six or 

 eight high : and may be constructed either nearly like the dung- 

 heat frame, six or eight feet high behind, and one in front, the ends 

 conformable, and sloping frames of glass-work raised from the 

 front, sloping either quite to the top of the back-wall, or to incline 

 only about one half towards that part, meeting a covered roof at top, 

 half way, which should be raised high enough in front to throw the 

 water off behind, as well as to admit as much sun as possible to 

 every part of the frame ; or it may be constructed with an upright 

 front of glass, head high, and a slo'ping roof of glass work, ranging 

 from the upright front to the top of the back wall, which is rather 

 the most eligible form, both for convenience and benefit of the 

 plants ; either of which constructions may be erected detached, or 

 against a south wall already built, which will serve for the back, 

 and save some expence ; the ends may either be of wood or brick, 

 and the glass-work in every part should be made to move on and ofi% 

 as well as to slide backward and forward to give air, and to do other 

 necessary work ; and at one end, near the back wall, may be a door 

 to enter occasionally ; and within-side must be a pit for the bark- 

 bed, three feet deep, part sunk, and the greater part raised, conti- 

 nued the whole length and width, except about a foot and half alley 

 to go in to perform the necessary culture, as well as to view and 

 gather the produce of the different plants. 



The pit within is to be filled with new tan any time in winter or 

 spring, you intend to begin forcing, though January is soon enough 1 , 

 and the beginninng of February is not too late ; the bark will sup- 

 port a growing heat three months, and if then stirred up to the bot- 

 tom, will renew its heat, and continue it two months longer. 



In this frame may plunge in the bark-bed pots of roses, or any 

 other choice flowering shrubs you would force into an early bloom ; 

 likewise may place pots of strawberries towards the front and top 

 glasses ; and pots of kidney-beans and early dwarf peas may be placed 

 in any part of the frame ; also pots of dwarf fruit-trees, before men- 

 tioned, pots of double pinks, carnations, and any other moderate- 

 growing fibrous-rooted perennials, as well as any sorts of bul- 

 bous or tuberous-rooted flowers, as narcissuses, jonquils, tulips, 

 anemones, ranunculuses, hyacinths, and various other sorts. 



The heat of the bark-bed will effectually warm the earth and in- 

 ternal air sufficiently to forward any sorts of hardy flowers and 

 fruits to perfection at an early season ; observing, that, although 

 they do not always flower and fruit so abundantly as in the full 

 ground, yet, if there are but a few of any sort, a month or two before 

 their natural season, they, if for sale, will sufficiently pay ; and if 



