508 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



spects from high out-door culture. To effect this the chief thing 

 is to give incessant care to the degree of temperature and moist- 

 ure which the crop may require, and so to limit the quantity 

 of fruit permitted to set as to keep it always somewhat below 

 the bearing capacity of the tree, of which every gardener is 

 supposed to be capable of judging at a glance, and every culti- 

 vator may learn to judge by a few careful experiments in fruit- 

 ing. He can scarcely err injuriously except on one side. If 

 he leave an excess of fruit upon the tree, the whole crop may 

 be injured or destroyed, but if he reduce the amount, even much 

 below the natural or necessary line, the remaining fruit will be 

 certainly and perhaps greatly improved, and may very possibly 

 more than make up in its aggregate weight for the excessive 

 thinning. 



Some vegetable plants are forced for use in winter by a 

 process of simple self-exhaustion. Their strong roots being 

 transferred in the fall to a cellar, or hot-bed frame, or heated 

 pit, or green-house, yield a limited crop under the stimulus of 

 the warmth thus furnished ; this being obtained, the roots thus 

 taxed are either thrown away or set out again in the spring to. 

 regain their ordinary strength. Sea-kale, Asparagus, Pie- 

 plant, Succory, etc., etc., are thus treated where it is deemed 

 worth while. 



The more common vegetables, as Lettuces, Radishes, and cer- 

 tain small matters for salads, require in their forced production 

 in hot-bed frames but little if any more or different care, though 

 longer continued, than is necessary for raising early hot-bed 

 plants of various vegetables for setting out. See page 30. 



Cucumbers and melons are often raised in unfavorable local- 

 ities by a system of half forcing sometimes called " ridging." 

 For this purpose a pit or trench of any desired length, about 

 three feet wide and two feet deep, is dug at the close of spring, 

 and filled with heating manure in the manner of making hot 

 bed (see page 30), the manure being covered twelve or fifteen 

 inches deep with surface earth well enriched with old garden 

 compost and chopped half-rotted sod, adding sand or road- wash 

 if the soil be heavy. 



Potted plants, previously prepared in hot bed, are set out 



