THE 



FORCING GARDEN, 



INTRODUCTION. 



THE forcing of fruits, flowers, and some kinds of 

 culinary vegetables, constitutes one of the principal 

 branches of modern gardening. Since the first in-* 

 troduction of hot-houses into this country, this 

 branch has made regular progress, and has uniform-, 

 ly extended to all parts of the island, insomuch as, 

 that a garden is not now reckoned complete without 

 being provided with several compartments for for- 

 cing fruits, with a green-house or conservatory, 

 with flued walls, and with frames and lights. 



I here allude to the gardens of the great and 

 wealthy, who find, in this department, a source of 

 real pleasure and rational amusement. They are 

 gratified by the production of the finest exotic 

 fruits, in a very considerable degree of perfection ; 

 of many native fruits, and rare esculents, at an ear- 

 ly and untimely season ; and of the finest exotic 

 plants and flowers in the world, many of which could 



