168 



wooden covers are of a span-roofed character; the 

 roof of a very flat pitch ; the sides, which rest on the 

 brickwork, are about nine inches high ; and the 

 cover, altogether, is nine feet, one covering the 

 whole bed. The roof is formed of what is termed 

 "feather-edged boards," and the second of these is 

 not nailed fast, but may be drawn down at pleasure 

 to inspect or cut the crop. The forcing routine 

 is very similar to that so ably described by Mr. 

 Spiers. 



Forcing in Stoves, Pits, ^c. Age of Plants. — 

 Such plants must be inserted in hotbeds as are five 

 or six years old, and appear of sufficient strength to 

 produce vigorous shoots ; when, however, any old 

 natural ground plantations are intended to be broken 

 up, at the proper season some of the best plants may 

 be selected to be plunged in a hotbed or any spare 

 corner of the stove bark beds. When more than ten 

 years old, they are scarcely worth employing. To 

 plant old stools for the main forcing crop is, however, 

 decidedly erroneous ; for, if plants are past produc- 

 tion, and unfit to remain in the garden, little can be 

 expected from them when forced. 



Produce. — To have a regular succession, a fresh 

 bed must be formed every three or four weeks, the 

 last crop to be planted in March or the early part of 

 April : this will continue in production until the ar- 

 rival of the natural ground crops. The last made 



