Feb.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. I39 



Having two or three years old bearing plants in pots, as then 

 directed, plunge them into the hot-beds, and manage them as there 

 advised. 



Be careful to admit plenty of air to the plants at every favour- 

 able opportunity, by setting up the glasses behind every mild day, 

 and at intervals give gentle waterings to the earth in the pots 

 around the plants, not pouring it over them, especially while they 

 are in flower. 



When you find the heat of the beds to be on the decline, renew 

 it by adding a lining of fresh horse-dung to the sides or ends, or to 

 both, as necessity may require; and be very particular in covering 

 the glasses every night with mats or other covering. 



This is also a very successful time to place pots of strawberry 

 plants in the hot-house, or in any forcing-house; they will in these 

 places bear well, and in early perfection. 



Forcing early Fruit i?i Forcing-houses. 



The beginning of this month, if not done before, you may pro- 

 ceed to forcing fruit trees in hot-walls, peach-houses, cherry-houses, 

 &c. by aid of tire or other artificial heat; the proper sorts are 

 peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, figs, vines, plums, &c. ; hav- 

 ing young trees for this purpose that are arrived to a bearing state, 

 and planted a year or two before the borders, &c. of the forcing 

 departments; or you may have some also in large pots or tubs, to 

 remove therein at forcing time occasionally. The trees may be 

 both as wall-trees and espaliers, training the branches to a trellis 

 erected for that purpose, and some may be in dwarf standards; you 

 may also have some cherries, both in small-headed standards, halt 

 standards and dwarfs; and vines trained up under the sloping- 

 glasses. — See Hot-house, December. 



Let moderate fires be made every afternoon and evening; and if 

 there is a pit within the forcing-house, in which to have a bark or 

 dung hot-bed, you may make the bed a week or ten days belore 

 you begin the fires; and if a bark-bed is intended, fill the pit with 

 new tanner's bark; or if a dung hot-bed, make it with fresh hot 

 horse-dung; and when it has settled down six or eight inches, lay 

 that depth of tanner's bark at top. These beds will support a con- 

 stant moderate warmth in which you may plant pots of dwarf-cher- 

 ries and of scarlet and Alpine strawberries, which will have fruit 

 very early, and in great perfection. Continue making fires every 

 evening, and support them till ten or eleven o'clock to warm the air 

 of the house till morning, when the fire may be renewed moderately, 

 but not constantly the whole day, except in very severe weather, 

 especially if there is the assistance of a bark hot-bed; unless it is 

 required to forward the trees as much as possible. However, where 

 there is no internal hot-bed you must continue a constant, regular, 

 moderate fire heat. 



With this management the trees will soon begin to advance in 

 blossom-buds, &c, when you must be careful to continue a regular 

 moderate heat in the house. 



