CALENDAR DECEMBER. 399 



is employed for heating, the necessary temperature and dry- 

 ness are much more under the control of the gardener. 

 Force asparagus, rhubarb, and sea-kale, in the mushroom' 

 house or pits for a supply at Christmas. Attend to the 

 forcing of mushrooms. In the forcing-houses, prune and 

 train the trees ; dig and dress the borders of those houses 

 in which this operation has not already been done. The 

 forcing of vines is sometimes commenced at this season ; 

 but the progress must be very slow at first : the crops re- 

 sulting from such early forcing are generally inferior in 

 quantity. 



Green Houses, fyc. All hardy green-house plants must 

 now be properly protected, by being replaced in the green- 

 house or in pits. Give abundance of air in fresh weather, 

 only applying heat to keep out the frost during the night, 

 or to expel the damp, with the assistance of air through 

 the day : remove all decayed or injured leaves, watering 

 only such plants as require it ; the plants in the alpine and 

 auricula frames ought still to have plenty of air, but very 

 little water. Commence the forcing of rhododendrons, 

 kalmias, roses, hyacinths and tulips, in the stove or in pits. 

 Flower Garden, fyc. Plant dried tubers of border flowers, 

 but the finer sorts had better be deferred till spring. Pro- 

 tect such half-hardy plants as were not sheltered last 

 month. Plant deciduous trees and shrubs as long as the 

 weather continues favorable. Dig and dress such flower- 

 borders and shrubberies as may now be cleared of annuals 

 and the stems of herbaceous plants. 



DECEMBER. 



Kitchen and Flower Garden. About Christmas, sow 

 a few of the same sorts of peas and beans as in November. 



