THE FORCING GARDEN. [NOV. 



THE PINEftY. 



Of the Nursing-Pit. 



About the middle of the month, the bark-bed will 

 require to be stirred up, and to have some fresh 

 bark added to it, in order to keep up a moderate 

 heat through the winter. New bark to the extent 

 of a tenth, or an eighth part may therefore be 

 trenched in ; observing to keep it well down, as 

 often formerly directed. 



It is common to add a large proportion of new 

 bark at this time, in the idea of keeping up a strong 

 heat to resist the cold of winter ; and some also keep 

 up a high temperature, throughout winter, in the 

 same mistaken idea : than which, nothing can be 

 more pernicious or hurtful to the plants, hundreds 

 of which are cast out " dead men" in spring, after ha- 

 ving cost much trouble andexpence. If the season be 

 dormant, so ought, and so will the plants be, in de- 

 spite of all our exertions to the contrary. It is, 

 then, a vain and futile striving, a striving against the 

 stream indeed, to force, or to attempt to force them 

 into activity, without the congenial help and assist- 

 ance of that "life and soul of vegetation," the Sun. 



The plants will not generally require potting at 

 this time, but a few may ; that is, the strongest of 

 the suckers, or such others whose roots have filled 

 their pots, and have become anywise matted. Ex- 

 amine any you suspect to be so, and let them be 

 shifted into pots of the next size immediately above 

 those they are in ; keeping the balls entire, and only 

 singling out the netted fibres at bottom. 



