F I C 



FOR 



injure the tree so as to prevent it from bearing 

 the ensuing summer. If any milk be observed 

 oozing from the foot-stalks, a little of the com- 

 position should be used, which will stop it, 

 and heal the injured part. See Composition. 



By doing this, the ripening and hardening of 

 the wood will be assisted before the winter frosts 

 set in. 



In standard-trees of all sorts, little pruning is 

 necessary, only just to take out the very irregu- 

 lar branches and the young shoots when too 

 much crowded, and the dead ends of the shoots, 

 as well as any dead wood that there may be 

 in them. 



Mr. Forsyth, however, observes that, " as 

 the branches of standard Fig-trees are very liable 

 to be killed in severe winters, it will be necessary 

 to lay them also in the ground, wrapping them up 

 in hay or straw bands, as directed for wall-trees. 

 It will be sometimes impracticable to lay down 

 the middle branches ; they must, therefore, 

 be well covered with hay or straw bands, and 

 the outside ones laid down, going regularly 

 round the tree, and taking particular care not to 

 hurt them with the spade, then to mulch them 

 with rotten leaves, &c." 



Where Mr. Forsyth has been under the neces- 

 sity of cutting Fig-trees down near to the ground 

 after hard winters, he has found, by the use of 

 his composition, that " in the course of two 

 years, the new wood has covered over the old 

 stump, and the branches filled up the former 

 space, bearing also plenty of fine fruit." 



The other species are easily propagated by 

 cuttings during the summer season. When the 

 cuttings are taken from the plants, they should 

 be laid in a dry shady pkee for two or three days, 

 that the wounds may be healed over, otherwise 

 they are apt to rot ; after which they should be 

 planted in pots filled with sandy light earth, and 

 plunged into a moderate hot-bed, where they 

 should be shaded from the sun, and two or three 

 times a week gently refreshed with water, if the 

 season is warm ; but they must not have too 

 much moisture, as it would infallibly destroy 

 them. When the cuttings have taken root suf- 

 ficiently, they should be each planted into a se- 

 parate small pot filled with light undunged earth, 

 and replunged into the hot-bed, shading them 

 until they have taken fresh root; then they should 

 have a large share of free air admitted to them 

 at all times when the weather is favourable, to 

 prevent their drawing up weak, and to give them 

 strength before the cold comes on. In autumn 

 the pots should be removed into the stove, and 

 be plunged into the tan-bed, where they should 

 constantly remain, and be treated in the same 

 manner as other tender plants from the same 



countries ; for although two or three of the sorts 

 may be treated in a hardier manner, yet they will 

 not make much progress. They may likewise 

 be increased by layers. 



They are shrubs in this climate which afford 

 variety in stove collections. 



FINOCHIO. See Anethum. 



FIR-TREE. See Pinus. 



FLAG COMMON. See Iris. 



FLAG SWEET. See Acorus. 



FLOS ADONIS. See Adonis. 



FORCING, the art of raising and producing 

 plants, flowers, and fruits by means of artificial 

 heat. It is accomplished, either by the gentle 

 moist heat that is evolved during the fermenta- 

 tion and decomposition of stable-dung, tanner'* 

 bark, and other similar materials, or by the use 

 of actual fire in stoves, flues, and other con- 

 trivances for the purpose. 



The former of these methods is principally em- 

 ployed in raising Cucumbers, Melons, and some 

 other fruits, and the latter in producing Pine 

 Apples, various kinds of wall-fruits, and several 

 other sorts of vegetable productions. 



The great difficulty in the management of this 

 process, is that of adapting and regulating the 

 heat, of whatever sort it may be, in such a man- 

 ner as to promote and bring forward the plants 

 in the most perfect and healthy growth, with- 

 out their sustaining injury either by a deficiency 

 or excess. The various methods of effecting this 

 in the most perfect manner are fully described 

 under the culture of the different trees, plants, 

 and vegetables that require such treatment in their 

 cultivation. 



It is by this prccess that different sorts of ve- 

 getable productions, fruits and flowers are af- 

 forded at much earlier periods than could other- 

 wise be the case, and it of course constitutes an 

 important branch of practical gardening. 



FORCING FR AME, that kindof large frame- 

 work or erection which is made use of in procur- 

 ing different sorts of vegetables, fruits, and flowers 

 at an early period, by the application of artificial 

 heat in some of the above modes. It is a sort of 

 construction covered with sloping glass sliding 

 frames on the top, and sometimes in the front. 

 It may be either fixed or moveable, but in the 

 former ease the walls are mostly made of brick 

 work. 



These sorts of forcing-frames are usually placed 

 full to the south sun, and the length may be from 

 ten to fifty or one hundred feet ; the width from 

 five to fifteen, and from five to ten high ; having 

 an upright back wall, of wood, where small, but 

 when large, of brick ; and a front of glass-work, 

 made sometimes in one continued range of slope 

 to the top of the back wall ; and sometimes with 



