132 THE FRUIT-GARDEN. [FEB. 



forcing early Fruit in Forcing-houses. 



The beginning of this month, if not done before, you may pro- 

 ceed to forcing fruit- trees in hot-walls, peach-houses, cherry -houses, 

 6cc. by aid of fire or other artificial heat ; the proper sorts are 

 peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, figs, vines, plums, &c. hav- 

 ing young trees for this purpose that are arrived to a bearing state, 

 and planted a year or two before in the borders, 8cc. of the forcing 

 departments ; or you may have some also in large pots or tubs, to 

 remove therein at forcing time occasionally. The trees may be 

 both as wall-trees and espaliers, training the branches to a trellis 

 erected for that purpose, and some may be in dwarf standards ; you 

 may also have some cherries, both in small-headed standards, 

 half standards and dwarfs ; and vines trained up under the sloping 

 glasses See Hot-house^ December. 



Let moderate fires be made every afternoon and evening ; and if 

 there is a pit within the forcing-house, in which to have a bark or 

 dung hot-bed, you may make the bed a week or ten days before 

 you begin the fires ; and if a bark bed is intended, fill the pit with 

 new tanner's bark ; or if a dung hot-bed, make it with fresh hot 

 horse-dung ; and when it has settled down six or eight inches, lay 

 that depth of tanner's bark at top. These beds will support a con- 

 stant moderate warmth in which you may plant pots of dwarf cher- 

 ries and of scarlet and Alpine strawberries ; which will have fruit 

 very early, -and in great perfection. Continue making fires every 

 evening, and support them till ten or eleven o'clock, to warm the air 

 of the house till morning, when the fire may be renewed moderately, 

 but not constantly the whole day, except in very severe weather, 

 especially, if there is the assistance of a bark hot-bed ; unless it is 

 required to forwad the trees as much as possible. However, where 

 there is no internal hot-bed, you must continue a constant, regular 

 moderate, fire-heat. 



With this management the trees will soon begin to advance in 

 blosbom-buds, &c. when you must be careful to continue a regular 

 moderate heat in the house. 



Admit fresh air to the trees every mild day when sunny, espe- 

 cially after they begin to bud and shoot, either by sliding clown 

 some of the upper sloping glasses two or three inches, or drawing 

 some of the uprights in front a little way open, shutting all close 

 towards the afternoon, or as soon as the weather changes cold ; 

 giving air more fully as the warm season increases, and as the trees 

 advance in blossom and shooting. 



Give also occasional waterings both to the borders and over the 

 branches of the trees before they blossom ; but when in flower, and 

 until the fruit is all fairly well set, desist from watering over the 

 branches, lest it destroy the fecundating pollen of the anthera destined 

 for the impregnation of the fruit. 



The fires may be continued till towards May, being careful never 

 to make them stronger than to raise the internal heat to about 60 

 of Fahrenheit's thermometer, in peach and cherry -houses, and 70 

 in vine-houses j for in vineries, having only principally vines in 



