;11 



be composed of coarse and open materials, and should 

 be placed a considerable depth, finishing at top with 

 clean straw or fern of some thickness ; and if this 

 could be so disposed as to carry off the moisture, it 

 would be a great advantage, as there is little doubt 

 that the border will have moisture enough : the main 

 business is to avoid excess. Such a covering as a 

 tarpaulin would be of great service in this case : it 

 might be supported on spars, to avoid close con- 

 tact. Some of our best gardeners increase this 

 covering just before they commence forcing; and, 

 by the addition of fermenting materials, endeavour 

 to produce a temperature in the mass of 80 or 90 

 degrees. 



This amount of heat has startled some persons, 

 who do not sufficiently consider that, through the 

 tendency of heat to ascend, the volume of the border 

 in the vicinity of the roots is perhaps not above 60 

 or 65 degrees. This cannot be too much, if it be 

 admitted that warmth of root is necessary to excite 

 the vital forces, and that without such action the vine 

 will have to exist entirely on the accumulated stores 

 of former years. Care must be taken to remove such 

 covering in due time — not, however, entirely. Mr. 

 Roberts' directions are excellent on this head, and 

 may be implicitly followed. 



Although we join with our best practical gardeners 

 in recommending the roots of early-forcing vines to 



