Foreright Shoots 



( 349 ) 



Foxglove 





out of their proper seasons. Various means arc 

 adopted to gain this end, from the humble bucket, 

 packed round with straw, which the cottager places 

 over his Rhubarb, to the large houses specially 

 fitted up with elaborate systems of hot-water pipes. 

 Forcing is also done on a large scale in some places 

 with the aid of fermenting material, and for some 

 things this is found preferable to hot water. For 

 very early forcing, brick pits are advantageous. 

 These pits, if tilled with fermenting material, allow 

 of the pots being plunged, and a vigorous, moist 

 heat is provided for the routs. For some things, 

 sucli as Rhubarb, Lilac, and Lily of the Valley, it is 

 absolutely necessary to keep the houses quite dark; 

 in the first case until the produce is fit to gather, in 

 the other cases until the flowers open. A forcing 

 house should never be allowed to become drv ; when 

 syringing cannot be done, paths, stages, etc., must 

 always be kept wet. In all cases it is better to 

 commence forcing in a low temperature and gradu- 

 ally rise to the maximum. It is always advisable 

 to specially prepare plants that are to be forced. 

 Shrubs for spring forcing should always be potted 

 several months previously. Subjects suitable for 

 forcing include most fruits, early vegetables, flower- 

 ing shrubs, bulbs, Lily of the Valley, etc. .Many 

 of these are dealt with separately under their 

 respective heads. 



FORERIGHT SHOOTS. 



A term applied to shouts on trained trees that 

 are produced from the front of the branches at 

 right angles with the wall. As they cannot be laid 

 in against the wall or other support satisfactorily 

 they should be shortened to form fruiting spurs. 



FORGET-ME-NOT. 



A name popular] v used for various species of 

 Myosotis, a genus of Boraginere. The term Antarctic 

 Forget-me-not is used for Myosotidium nobile, the 

 flowers of which, though larger, resemble those <>! 

 the common Forget-me-not. Several Forget-me- 

 nots are included among our British wild plants. 

 The cultivated species are all popular garden plants. 

 The flowers are borne in late spring and early 

 summer, and are blue, white, or pink in colour. 

 All may be grown from seeds sown out of doors on 

 a sunny border in March or April; the perennial 

 ones may also be increased by dividing the roots 

 after flowering. They like a good, loamy soil, but 

 grow in almost any sort. (For list of species, gee 

 MYOSOTIS.) 



FORK. 



Digging forks are usually made with four strong 

 steel prongs tapering to a point. Another useful 

 implement is of the same character, but the tines 

 are flat and have rather less space between them. 

 These forks are capital tools for lifting Potatoes. 

 Dung forks are of a lighter make than the above, 

 and have long, thin, steel prongs. They are 

 specially designed for loading and removing farm- 

 yard manure and straw litter. Small hand forks 

 are useful little implements in the garden. They 

 have three prongs and are suitable for use in trans- 

 planting. The agricultural hay fork, with two 

 curved tines and long handle, lias its use in the 

 garden for removing and shaking out long litter 

 used in the make-up of hotbeds. 



i'nrhrsiii (sir / 'I/ITH/II/U). 



J-'iireii/n Vwlet {see Sr/nreiggeria). 



FORRESTIA. 



Tropical, Tradescantia-like plants (arii. Com- 

 melinacese). They usually have more or less oval- 

 shaped leaves, prominently veined and very hairy. 

 Cuttings root readily if inserted in light soil in an 

 open border. Soil, equal parts of peat and loam, 

 with a good dash of sand. 



Principal Species : 

 glahratu, '2', sum., red. Hookeri, 3', sum., pur. 



FORSYTHIA. (GOLDEN BELL.) 



Charming shrubs (nrtl. Oleacefe) of deciduous 

 habit, which should be grown in every garden for 

 their pretty flowers in March, April, and May. 

 Propagation, by layers, or by cuttings in summer 

 planted under a hand-light. Any common soil. 

 The Forsythias look charming among other 

 deciduous shrubs or trees in spring, and are also 

 good wall plants, especially in the colder 

 districts. They should not be trained too stiffly, 

 but allowed to hang from the wall. 



Principal Species and Hybrid : 

 intermedia, 8' , Ap., yel. suspcusa, \'i', Ap., yel. ; 



hybrid (suspeusa X vars., Fortuuei anil 



viridissima). Sieboldii. 



viridisaima. 8', Ap. , yel. 



FOTHERGILLA. 



A pretty, deciduous hardy shrub (ord. Hamamel- 

 idese) with fragrant flowers. It is a good plant 

 for the shrubbery, and may be increased by seeds 

 sown in peaty soil in the border or in pans in 

 spring, or by layers. It likes a sandy peat soil 

 of a moist character. 



Principal Species : 



Garden!, 6', Ap., My., \vh. (syn. alnifolia). Acuta, 

 major, obtusa, and serotina are vars. of this. 



FOUNTAINS. 



As a rule, the simpler a fountain is the better it 

 looks in a garden. Arrangements of rocks, with 

 one or more strong waterspouts, are more suitable 

 than ornate stone basins and statues such as are 

 seen in town squares. Simple arrangements in the 

 midst of a pool or lake in which Water Lilies and 

 other aquatics thrive are often very effective. If a 

 formal fountain is desired it should be placed in a 

 formal part of the garden. When arranging for 

 a fountain care should be taken to find out whether 

 a continuous supply of water can be obtained 

 throughout the driest weather, for if a fountain 

 has to stop playing it becomes an eyesore. 



FOXGLOVE. 



The common Foxglove is Digitalis purpurea, a 

 plant which has attached to it some interesting 

 legends and bits of folk-lore, but the name has 

 become applied to all the species of Digitalis 

 now in gardens. It is said to be derived from the 

 Anglo-Sajton " Fnxcs-fllof," from some connection 

 with the Fox, and the resemblance of the flower to 

 the finger of a glove. As a garden plant the Fox- 

 glove is of much value, the large-flowered and 

 spotted forms being particularly effective. D. pur- 

 purea is a biennial, but some of the others are 

 perennial. (See DIGITALIS.) 



l-'n mi it'll (see Ant). 



l-'iiri'i'stiii (af Jlatinetqtte, tee Ceanatlnit). 



l-'ursi/llii/i (/if Walter, see l>i'riiiiinri,i ). 

 Fdiin/niit I'linit (sir .1 /in/ mat bus mlii-i/iiliut). 

 Fuuri-rni/ii (ace l''n rrnrn). 



Kucllil in' (sir .li'iillitilill \ lit fin fill). 



Foxtail J'inc (itce Pinus balfouriana). 



