390 



Dutch Manner of Forcings 



the second crop, which comes into bearing in six weeks, or 

 about the first week of January, and, by cutting down, is kept 

 in a bearing state till the crop in the open air comes in suc- 

 cession. The sort used is the Small Early White, apparently 

 a hybrid between what is called the Dutch Runner and the 

 Early White Dwarf. No water is given till the spring months, 

 and very little then. 



Cauliflowers. — -A bed of half-spent dung, or dung and leaves, 

 is made up in the last week of December, covered with vege- 

 table mould, and about a dozen plants inserted under each 

 light ; they do not grow much till February, but afterwards 

 they increase rapidly, are thinned out to six in a light, and are 

 fit to cut in April. They get no water till March. 



Peas. — Mr. Nieman has still peas to gather in the open air, 

 and he has a quantity in full bloom, in the front of low peach 

 houses, on the beds of dung which supplied the heat to the 

 house during the preceding spring. If November prove a 

 clear month, he may gather a dish on the first week of De- 

 cember, as he did last year: if he should be unsuccessful, the 

 loss is only the seed and the labour. Early peas are obtained 

 by sowing in frames or beds prepared as for the cauliflower. 

 Mr. Nieman generally gathers his first peas in April. The 

 sort he uses appears to be what is called the Early May. 

 (p. 124.) 



Small Salading is grown by Mr. Nieman in the usual man- 

 ner, and potatoes, asparagus, seakale, tart rhubarb, chiccory, 

 parsley roots, mint, tarragon, and other herbs, are grown or 

 forced much in the same way as they are in British gardens. 

 Purslane is grown in the melon beds, on the spare spaces at 

 top and bottom, and removed as the vines extend to these 

 spaces. 



The Pits for forcing Peaches, Apricots, Vines, and Rasp- 

 berries {figs. 138. and 139.) are thus constructed : — They are 



158 



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i°i:x¥z^ 



-•"•. /\ s\ A -•' x '**' 



about 8 ft. 6 in. wide, surrounded by a brick wall, 5 ft. high 



