178 THE FORCING GARDENER. [B. I. 



jedl. Pine plants, except in Unking of fuck- 

 ers, &c. (hould not Hand in a bottom heat 

 above that of blood-heat at anytime, and 

 that too of a mild moifl nature. If the 

 watch-flick, to the depth of the bottom of 

 the pot, feels juft a little warm when felt 

 with the hand, or applied to the cheek 

 when the body is of a comfortable tem- 

 perature, it is fiifficient; and it certainly 

 confifts with reafon, that the bottom and 

 fuperficial heat fhould correfpond at all 

 times. For the more effectual attainment 

 of which, and that the roots may fufiain 

 no injury, the following rules, for turning 

 and trenching the bed ; are what I have fol- 

 lowed, viz. never to fift the tan in the pit 

 at any time ; never to add above an eighth 

 of new, which, if neceflary, give place tc* 

 by fk miming off a little of the furface of 

 the old ; never to fuffer the new tan to lie 

 within a foot of the furface, by which 

 means the pots are entirely plunged in the 

 old ; to lay the half of whatever new tan 

 is added, in the bottom of the trench, and 

 divide the other half equally to within a 

 fopt of the furface of the bed : in trench- 

 ing, to throw the fides to the middle, and 



the 



