388 



Dutch Manner of Forcing, 



in an advanced state. These pits are built in other walled 

 pits, and the linings neatly covered with shutters, which are 

 hooked to the coping of the inner pits, and thus not only 

 throw off the rain, but even, when the dung sinks, keep the 

 wall of the inner pit warm to the very top. {Jig. 137.) To 

 keep down damp, the soil about 137 



the plants is covered with frag- 

 ments of oiled paper. Mr. 

 Nieman informed us that this 

 was the use he applied the paper 

 to, after it had been used as a 

 screen in the forcing of peaches, 

 as will afterwards be described. 

 From what we saw, and could 

 learn from Mr. Nieman, we 

 think it may be said that the Dutch do not surpass the English 

 in the culture of the cucumber and melon. 



Lettuces. — In the first week of September, the first crop of 

 melons is removed, the mould thrown to one side, the dung 

 stirred up a foot or more in depth, and sometimes a little 

 fresh dung added. The mould is then returned, and the bed 

 being smoothed, one lettuce plant of a very small size is placed 

 under the centre of each pane of glass (or 30 in one light), 

 and so as to be within 3 in. of the glass. The reason for 

 putting the plants under the centre of the panes is, that the 

 water of condensation which collects on the lead lap, may 

 drop between the plants and not on them. At first planting, 

 however, five or six plants are placed in the upper part of the 

 bed under the lap, and remain there for a few weeks as a 

 reserve, in case of vacancies in the permanent plants. Very 

 little air is given to these plants, and no water whatever. The 

 vegetable mould is black, of a crumbly, rough, dry appearance, 

 and seems to keep away damps from the leaves, by absorbing 

 moisture in the way rotten granite, oatmeal, coal ashes, and 

 other substances are known to do. (Encyc. of Gard., § 3055.) 



Various plantations of lettuces are made in the same man- 

 ner, till the last day of October ; and it was observed to us, 

 by Mr. Nieman, that the distance of two days between plan- 

 tations made in October, frequently occasioned the difference of 

 four or six weeks between the times of their maturity in spring. 

 At this time (November 7.), there are in the melon ground at 

 Hylands thirteen lights, each containing thirty plants of let- 

 tuces ; the first two or three lights were nearly ready to cut, 

 and the last four lights consisted of plants with not more than 

 three or four leaves each. Mr. Nieman assured us that he would 



