582 Proceedings of I he London Horticultural Society. 



soil in the course of the month of May, by which time the growing principle is 

 stopped ; and it may be observed, that the circumstance of taking them out of 

 their feeders, or pans, which had become full of their fibres, combined with the 

 drop of temperature they sustain in their removal from the houses to the cold- 

 frame, is sufficient to put them instantly to rest, and bring on an artificial win- 

 ter; as far as the maturation and rest of the newly organised bud is concerned. 

 The runners are taken from the plants in the autumn, and planted in a reserve 

 bed as thick as they can stand together for the winter. I must here digress 

 to observe that the advantage which the runners of forced plants possess over 

 the common garden runners is twofold. In the first place, the runners of the 

 forced plants being produced later are smaller, and much less disposed to blos- 

 som, consequently have more of the growing principle in them ; and are, in 

 my opinion, more analogous to a seedling ; and, secondly, in point of size, for 

 the plant cannot be too small, if it have a leaf and a root. In the beginning 

 of April I prepare ground for their reception and cultivation. I choose my 

 ground in the lightest and most exposed situation which the kitchen-garden 

 affords, in fact there must be no shade of any kind near them, the ground must 

 also be solid, that is to say, ground which has not been stirred for months ; 

 my object being to produce early growth, early rest, and a fibrous surface root. 

 The ground is dressed with the rottenest dung the place affords, well mixed in 

 with a fork about 4 in. deep (by no means more). I place the runners in 

 lines 20 in. apart, and allow 18 in. between plant and plant in the row. 

 Nothing now is requisite but to keep them clean through the summer, well- 

 watered for a month or so, and to cut away all runners and blossoms as they 

 appear. In the middle of August, by which time they are strong plants, I 

 commence a series of checks, intended to drive the plant into an early and 

 decided rest. A labourer with a spade cuts within a foot of the plants all 

 along the row on both sides. If this does not cause them to flag in a hot 

 sun, the cutting is repeated in a week, and perhaps a third time, cutting nearer 

 the plant each time, until finally within 6 in. However, be it understood, the 

 extent of this checking process depends entirely on the character of the sum- 

 mer, and the state of the plant. If a hot dry summer, perchance they may 

 not require it ; but, for early forcing, the plant must be got to rest early in the 

 autumn, and by rest I mean the entire ceasing of the production of young 

 leaves in the heart of the plant, and the browning or spotting of all the larger 

 leaves. 



" In the early part of September, I pot them in what is called about Lon- 

 don the No. 24. I reduce the ball of earth very liberally, and trim the roots 

 in with a knife. The pots are drained with a mixture of old tan quite rough, 

 half-rotten dung, and coarse sand. The soil I use is composed of three parts 

 of yellow loam sod, almost as adhesive as clay, but mellowed with age, and 

 one part of rich rotten dung, adding a good sprinkling of fine bone dust. As 

 soon as potted, they are placed behind a north wall and sprinkled occasionally 

 with water. They remain here about a week or ten days, in fact, until I can as- 

 certain that they are making new roots; they are then removed to a hot gravel 

 walk before a south border, where they remain till the last week in October. 

 While in this situation, they are watered occasionally, but not too freely, just 

 enough to keep them from flagging. In the end of October they are plunged 

 behind a north wall completely in the shade, and from this moment I date the 

 commencement of their winter; their large strong leaves are now of a coppery 

 and mottled brown, and begin to drop down on the pots. In fact, every thing 

 indicates the most perfect maturity of the bud. When I want to commence 

 forcing, I move a portion of them into a slow moist frame heat of from 40° to 

 50°, and I may here observe that the more gradually they are started the bet- 

 ter, but by all means in a moist warmth. When I perceive the flower-stem, I 

 introduce them to the back shelves in the houses, placing roomy feeders or 

 pans under them half-filled with the following compost : viz. three parts rotten 

 horse dung, one part sandy loam, one part old tan in little knobs or lumps, two 

 parts coarse sand ; the pots being placed particularly firm and level on this, 



