560 PRACTICE OF GARDENING. PART III 



3087. Fall of the leaves of forced peach-trees. Nicol says, the leaves of peach-trees " may be dressed off." 

 when the wood is ripened, by the use of a withe or small cane, which is more necessary in a house than if 

 the trees were growing in the open air, where the wind or frost might make them tumble down fast. 



3088. Stirring the soil. The borders are to be pointed and forked up after pruning, 

 and a little well rotted dung or compost added where deemed necessary. The part of 

 the borders on the outside may, in addition, be covered with dung ; and after forcing is 

 commenced, those in the inside may be occasionally watered with the drainings of the 

 dunghill. (Kid. 324. 438.) 



3089. Time of beginning to force. " From the rise of the sap," according to Aber- 

 crombie, " it occupies, in some sorts, about four months to make mature fruit ; in the 

 later varieties, five months ; and when much of winter is included in the course of forcing, 

 the time is proportionally lengthened. To ripen moderately early kinds by the end of 

 May, begin to force on the 21st of December. Little is gained by commencing sooner. 

 But you may put on the glasses a week before, und make gentle fires, admitting a con- 

 stant stream of fresh air, to get the house ready." 



3090. M'Phail says, " Those who wish to have peaches and nectarines ripe in May, should begin to force 

 them about the beginning or middle of December." For a general crop, Nicol, Weeks, and most gar- 

 deners, recommend forcing to begin the month of February. Nicol offers " a word to the novice in forcing : 

 Be diffident, and drive too slow rather than too fast Most new beginners in this business make haste to 

 outdo, or to eclipse their neighbors ; and so drive on at a pace they cannot long keep up, but founder their 

 steed, and stop short by the way." 



3091. Temperature. Abercrombie directs to " begin at 42 min. 45 max. from sun- 

 heat ; and rise in a fortnight to 45 min. 50 max. from sun-heat, giving plenty of air ; 

 in the progress of the second fortnight, augment the temperature from three to eight de- 

 grees, so as to have it at the close up to 53 min. 56 max. from sun-heat, admitting air 

 in some degree daily. When the trees are in blossom, let the minimum heat be 55 min. 

 60 max. Continue to aim at this till the fruit is set and swelling. When the fruit is 

 set, raise the minimum to 60, the artificial maximum to 65, in order to give fresh air : 

 when the sun shines, do not let the maximum, from collected heat, pass 70, rather em- 

 ploying the opportunity to admit a free circulation of air." 



3092. M'Phail, beginning in February, keeps the thermometer to about 55, increasing it as the days 

 lengthen ; when set and swelling, raise it to 60 with fire-heat ; when the sun shines, let it rise to 65 or 70 

 with air. A short time before the fruit begins to ripen, from 55? to 70 is not too much, with fire-heat, 

 and in sunshine days a little above 75. 



3093. Flanagan begins to force a new-planted house in the second week of February, by putting on the 

 lights, and begins fire-heat at the end of the'month. ..The second season he puts on the lights in the latter 

 end of January. (Hort. Trans, v. 58, 59.) 



3094. Nicol, in a house begun to force on the 1st of February, begins with 45 for the first fortnight, and 

 then increases the heat to 50 or 52. The times of regulation are supposed to be at six or seven in the 

 morning, and at eight or nine at night. At the end of a month the temperature is to be kept as steadily as 

 possible to'55 . In two months, keep it to about 65, seldom allowing it to pass 70, which, if it does, it will 

 have the effect of drawing the shoots up weak, and may cause the setting fruit to drop. He recommends 

 60 by fire-heat, mornings and evenings, as proper after the fruit is fairly stoned. 



3095. Flanagan, the first season of forcing a peach-house, " attains a temperature of from 53 to 55 from 

 fire the last week of February, and does not allow the sun-heat to exceed 65. The second season of forcing, 

 fires are made in the second week of February, just to keep the heat by fire from 45 to 50, not exceeding 

 70 of sun-heat ; in the third week the fire-heat is gradually increased from 50 to 55, and not exceeding 

 75 sun-heat. In March, particular attention must be paid to the regularity of heat, which may be pro- 

 gressively increased a degree or two as the season advances, but I do not allow it to exceed the last-named 

 temperature until the fruit is perfectly stoned, when I increase it from 55 to 60 at night, and from 77 to 

 80 of sun-heat. At the medium of these the temperature should continue during the remaining part of 

 the season." (Hort. Trans, v. 60.) 



3096. Air. A constant stream of fresh air is to be admitted before beginning to force, 

 and plenty of air during sunshine throughout the whole progress of forcing. M'Phail says, 

 when the fruit is set and swelling, " give the house air every day, whether the sun shine 

 or not." Give plenty of air, and keep the house dry, when the fruit begins to ripen. 

 When the intention is to begin to force on the 1st of February, Nicol shuts up the house 

 from the middle of January, admitting plenty of free air through the day. During the 

 first month of forcing, he admits air freely " every day, even in frosty weather, by the 

 sashes, till the flowers begin to expand ; after which time by the ventilators, except in fresh 

 weather, till the season become mild. Air should be admitted all this month, to such an 

 extent as to keep down the temperature, in sunshine, to within five degrees of the fire-heat 

 medium ; and this in order to strengthen the buds as they break, and that the young shoots 

 may spring in a vigorous manner." Admit large portions of air every day when the fruit 

 is swelling off, except in damp weather, from seven or eight in the morning to five or six 

 in the evening ; opening the sashes to their fullest extent from ten till two or three o'clock, 

 giving and reducing gradually, &c. 



3097. Watering and steaming. " While the fruit is in blossom," Abercrombie ob- 

 serves, " steaming the flues must be substituted for watering over the herb ; at the same 

 time, you may water the roots now and then gently, avoiding such a copious supply as 

 might risk the dropping of the fruit to be set. Let the water be warmed to the air of the 

 house." 



