VOL. XVI. NO. 38. 



AND GAUDENER'S JOURNAL 



301 



(From Die Horticultural Register.) 



FORCING FRAMES AND FORWARDING 

 EARLY VEGETABLES. 



Tlie season being now advariciiig for forcing 

 ^arly vegetables, I lierewitb subjoin sonie papers 

 hat have been written at different times, when 

 ipportutiities have offered to llie most advantage 

 )n the subject. 



Before I enter into a general nietliod of forcing 

 Vames, it will be proper to give some directions 

 )f size anil form of frames best adapted to the 

 )urposo. Where inany frames are required, the 

 lest method is to have two sizes ; one for early 

 md the otiier for late forcing. The size that I 

 voukl recommend for early forcing will he to 

 nake a frame of three lights or sashes ; tlie frame 

 o be of the following dimensions, viz : the length 



be the same as plank from twelve to thirteen 

 eet back and front, the width to he five feet, the 

 lepth in front ten inches, in the back eighteen 

 nches, wliich is to be sloped at the ends — which 

 vill give a good slope for the purpose ; the second 

 ;ize for general cropping may be made of the 

 lame length, but one foot under and a little deeper 

 it the back and front. 



Compost for Forcing Fi-ames. It will be proper, 

 it all times, to have a quantity of well incorpora. 

 ed compost for framing, which should be of such 



1 quality as to answer most purposes; for which 

 he best method is to procure a quantity of the to[i 

 lod of a rich loamy pasture ; to two cart loads of 

 his add one cart load of good rotten manure, and 

 fa quantity of leaf mould is incorporated there- 

 vith, the better ; when the compost is collected, 

 I may be formed into a regular heap and turned 

 iver two or three times during the summer, and 

 f not wanted to be useil may be often turned in 

 be winter. 



This compost will answer most vegetables, 

 vith the exception of adding some itiaiden-loam 

 or melons, and a quantity of sharp river sand for 

 adishes and the like. It will be proper to have 

 ;t hand a quantity of sand-leaf-mould, maideii- 

 oam, and tlie like, to mix with the other com- 

 losts, that may be wanted fur different purposes. 



Preparing the Materials and making the Hot-bed. 

 iaving pointed out the method of adapting the 

 ize of the frames, and compost proper for forcing 

 rames, the next thing is the preparing and col- 

 ecting the materials for the hot-bed. The best 

 Tiiaterial for this purpose, is a quantity of hot horse 

 Manure from the stable, with about one half good 

 kak or other leaves, that have been collected in 

 he fall, mixed therewith ; however, if the leaves 

 ire not at hand, horse manure will do. Having 

 )rocured the proper quantity, it is to be thrown 

 nto a heap and well shaken together with a fork, 

 nd beaten moderately close on the outside, with 

 he back of it — but not trod with the feet. So 

 onn as the heat begins to ferment, whicdi will be 

 n a few days, it is again to be turned and well 

 nixed in the same manner, and the same process 

 nay be followed three or four times, until the 

 vhole is in a lively state of fermentation and the 

 ank heat is passed off, when the bed is to be made 

 D the following manner. 



The making the Hot-bed. The first considera- 

 ion is to select a well sheltered situation, facing 

 the south, for making the bed ; having selected 

 he place, the ground is then to be measured off 

 or the bed, a foot larger all round than the in- 

 ended frame ; this done, the bed is then to be 



made, by shaking the manure well together, and 

 beating it down with the back of the fork — keep- 

 ing the sides in a neat, compact, upright manner. 

 The same process may be followed for all kinds 

 of plants to be forced, and the height of the bed 

 will depend on the season and the heat required 

 for different plants.* 



FOBCINf; THE CUCUMEKR. 



Making the Seed Bed. To obtain early cucum- 

 bers, pre|iare some good horse manure as before 

 directed, to make a seed bed, jireparatory to the 

 fruit bed. A one light box or frame five feet by 

 three, will be large enough for the purpose. Cnm- 

 irience the bed as before directed, in a warm, dry 

 southern aspect — on a level surface; the bed may 

 he made from three to four feet high. The bed 

 being made the frame is to be placed on it, facing 

 to the south, and covered in order to draw the 

 heat, which when it rises the i.iside is to be cov- 

 ered six inches deep with light soil, and a ther- 

 mometer placed at the back of the frame to try 

 the heat, which should be from sixty to sixty-five 

 degrees by night, and from seventy tu seventy-five 

 degrees by day, sun heat, when the seed may be 

 sown in the following manner. 



Sowing the Seed. Some light, rich earth should 

 be prepared for sowing the seed, which, when 

 sifted fine, may be put into pots nine inches in 

 diameter. When the jiols are filled with the com- 

 post, they are to be put into the frame to warm 

 the earth, and the following day the seed may be 

 sown, about an inch apart in the pots, and lightly 

 covered ; the ])Ots may then be [ilunged in the 

 earth nearly up to the rim, if thi; heat hi not too 

 powerful, but in case of a burning heat the pots 

 may be placed on the surface of the earth, 'flie 

 frame will now require to be regularly attended 

 to, by giving air of a morning and taking it away 

 of an evening, and keeping the temperature as 

 near as possible ns before directed ; if there is 

 much steam in the bed, a little air should lie left, 

 by night, at one corner of the back of the frame, 

 to pass it off, as too much steam is very injurious 

 to the young plants of Cucumbers. 



Potting the Plants. When the plants are ei^ht 

 or ten days old they will be fit for potting off, 

 which must be done in a fine day, about twelve 

 o'clock ; for the purpose, some light, rich earth 

 may be prepared, and some pots the same size as 

 before named — the pots may be about half filled 

 with soil, when the plants may be taken carefully 

 from the seed pots, and these plants may be care- 

 fully put into each pot, in a triangular manner, 

 when the pot may be filled with soil to the riiri. 



In the operation of potting, care must be taken 

 not to injure the plants by letting in the cold air : 

 the ])Otting should be performed by lifting up the 

 sash at the back of the frame aud covering the 

 sides with bass mats. 



tTo he continued.) 



From the Agricultural .Commiasioner'a I^eport. 



THE PRODUCT OF ONE AND A HALF 

 ACRE. 



The products of an acre and a half in a garden 

 the present season, are worthy of notice. 



The land was manured with eight cords of ma- 



*In all cases the bed should be made in as mild weath- 

 er as possible, and the turning the manure the same ; if 

 done in colj days it often gels chilled, and it ia very 

 difficult again to recover the heat. 



nure to the acre, and there have been grown on it 

 for sale, and to be sold, as follows : 



3,500bunches of Onions, at 5 cents, $175,00 



45 barrels of Beets, at $1,50 per barrel, 67,50 



Cabbages sold, 100,00 



24 bushels of Parsnips, 10,50 



2 "" Beans, 4,00 



10 '■ Potatoes, 6,67 



$363,67 

 Besides a supply of vegetables for family use 

 from the same garden. 



The establishment with which the fast account 

 is connected presents one of the most beautiful 

 examples of persevering industry, and admirable 

 economy and management, to be met with in our 

 industrious and frugal community. T he individ- 

 ual began his married life with only S50L', which 

 was the dower of his wife. He has never been 

 the owner of more than 10 1-2 acres of land, but 

 has often hired land for improvement. His whole 

 and exclusive business has been farming. He 

 has been blest with ten chililren, of whom seven 

 are .sons, and all of whom have been brought up 

 in habits of useful industry and had the advanta- 

 ges of a useful education. His house is band- 

 some enough to satisfy any reasonable ambition ; 

 and his out-door and in-door establishments pat- 

 terns of neatness and order. He has all the needed 

 comforts and luxuries of life ; and in property 

 may be pronounced independent. The habits of 

 such a family are in, themselves a fortune. He 

 and his two sons have^ this year cut and cured 75 

 tons of hay ; and better hay is not to be found. 



For the N. K. Farmer. 



BARLEY. 



!\Ir Editor — Dear- Sir : As far as my knowl- 

 edge extends, I believe it is not generally known 

 among practical farmers, that English or two 

 rowed Barley is the most profitable summer grain 

 crop that they can cultivate ; it is not particular 

 as to climate, soil, drought, or wet — and for some 

 years past has not been subject toblast or mildew. 

 It leaves the l;ind in better order than any other 

 grain crop, it is more easily harvested and requires 

 but little lalior to clean it (especially* with Hale's 

 threshing machine.) From two years experience 

 I find it equally as good for fatting svi^ine as any 

 other grain pound for pound. The present sea- 

 son we fatted our pork entirely on Barley meal, 

 and never had better. The produce the past sea- 

 son, was 45 bushels to the acre weighing 51 

 pounds per bushel, raised on land where corn 

 and potatoes grew the year before, part of which 

 is calcareous and part argillaceous soil. The 

 manure was spread on at the time of planting 

 corn and potatoes ; the grass looks well and bids 

 fair for a great crop — looked last autumn fifty per 

 cent better on the Barley ground than on the 

 wheat, which gl-ew by the side of it. 



D. CHANDLER, 



Thompson's Island. 



N. B. The meal makes excellent puddings and 

 cakes — likewise makes good bread mixed with 

 wheat or Indian meal in equal quantities. 



Oil from Vegetables A discovery has been 



made in England, by which oil may be obtained 

 in greater abundance from the seeds of vegeta- 

 bles, by applying to them diluted muriatic acid. 

 JV. Y. Star. 



