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The autlior of the Scotch Forcing Gardener, however, 

 fiijrgclh, that tlie forciiitr of afparagus in fined pits, is by 

 far tlie moll eligible inethod, as Inch pits may aiifwcr levcral 

 other purpofes ; beiides the gial's is of a much better colour 

 nnd higher Havour than that produced on a dniij; hot-bed. 

 Such apit as is roprefented at/^/. i. in P/a/;l. (Gardening), 

 will complctciv aufwer the intentions of the cultivator. As 

 it frequently occurs in large families, wliere much company is 

 kept, tliat this cfculent is wanted in a hurry, the con- 

 vcnicncy of a pit will be found to be a great relief in this 

 rcfpeift ; as it is much eaficr (by aid of flues) to forward or 

 protract the growth of the plants here, than in a common 

 hot-bed ; on the one hand, if the plants arc advancing too 

 rapidly, you are, it is obftrved, under the ntceflity of 

 cooling the bed in a certain degree ; and on tiie other, if 

 they are not advancing fo fall as you could wilh, you are 

 under the neceffity of applying linings, which is attended 

 with trouble ar.d lofs of time. The author fays, that a pit 

 twenty-live or thirty feet long, and fix wide, and which 

 one fire can perfectly command, is fnllicient to force afpa- 

 ragus to ferve a large family from November to May, in a 

 conllant and regular fucccnion ; after which it may be ad- 

 vantageoully employed in raifing a late crop of melons or 

 cucumbers, or in Ihiking yoimg pine-apple plants, &c. 

 The tritinig confumptiin of fuel, even where it is mod 

 valuable, ought not, he thinks, to deter any who require 

 afparagus, French beans, failads, &c. at an early feafon, 

 from building fo ufcful a compartment in the forcing gar- 

 den. If, continues he, a ferupuloiis attention is paid to 

 the defign in general, particularly to the conftruftion of the 

 fire-places and flues, it will give more fatisfaftion to the 

 gardener than any other hot-bed whatever, and in the end 

 be a faving to the proprietor. In the conftruftion of this 

 kind of pit, as is fliewn by the plate, the firft courfe of the 

 flue runs along the front, the bottom of which is about the 

 ground level, and as tlie outer wall of the flue is only a brick 

 in bed, it is obvious that early cellery, cairots, lettuces, 

 radiihes, cauliflowers, &c. Sec. fown on a well-prepared 

 border about two feet broad, immediately adjoining the 

 breall of the pit, would reap infinite advantage from the 

 due. At the time of any operation within the pit, a board 

 or plank, fujjported by bricks, &c. would defend the border 

 from injury. The pit is about four feet in the back and 

 three in the front, deeper than the bottom of the flues ; 

 which great depth is made on the prefumption that it may 

 be frequently ufed for pine-apple plants; but where it is 

 iifed for afparagus alone, half the depth would be fnfiicient. 

 It is immaterial whether the pit is entirely filled with tan or 

 not; the author frequently ufed three-fourths of flabic dung, 

 prepared in the fame manner as for a hot-bed, with equal 

 fuccefs ; but lias always found that dung is ivorfe to manage 

 than the tan, as it is more liable to heat violently ; befides, 

 from the nature of the building, there is not a poffibility of 

 drawing off the rank heat, as in a hot-bed ; for « lilch rcafon, 

 if dung is to be ufed, it ought to be fwcatcd in a more 

 careful manner. It is added, that a very fniall dtgree of 

 bottom heat is fufficient for the purpofe ; and that if the pit 

 has been previoufly employed with young pines, it will 

 require no preparation whatever for afparagus roots, except- 

 ing to level and put a few inches of ver)' rotten tan upon 

 the fnrface. But if melons were the lall thing the pit pro- 

 duced, it will be neceflary to lllr up the bed about two fett 

 deep, and add a little new tan or dung ; then level the furface 

 with old rotten t:in, as before. In either cafe the furface 

 (hould be levelled in a floping n^.anncr to the fun, about fix 

 inches above the bottom of the flues, allowing fo much for 

 the tan fettling ; the roots are then to be placed in and 

 «ovcred, as directed for the common hot-bed. Jf the pits 



are from twenty to thirty feet long, one half will be fnfiicient 

 for a time; and, to keep a conllant fucceflion, the other 

 half may be filled in about fifteen or twenty days, which 

 wil! begin to come up Ijeforc the firll is all uled ; after 

 which, once a month or fix weeks, according to the 

 fi/.e of the pit and confumption of the family, may be 

 fufficient, till it be fit for cutting in the open ground. It 

 is recommended that no fires be made if tlie thermometer 

 flands as high as forty-eight to fifty degrees; but, if uecel- 

 fary, covered with mats at night; alfo to admit plenty of 

 air through the day, if the weather will permit. When It 

 is neceflary to make fires, it fhould be done with caution ; 

 a fmall one made in the evening will ferve the whole night, 

 and it will be unneceflary to make any in the morning, 

 unlefs it be a great florm. He has, however, fometimes 

 found it convenient to make a fmall fire in the morning, 

 that he might have it in his power to admit air, and at the 

 fame time keep up a proper degree of heat. It is added, 

 that warmth will here be required in a moie plentiful degree 

 than recommended for hot -beds; but due obfcrvation of the 

 ftate of the tan and the health of the buds Ihonld alvvayn 

 determine the warmth that may be neeefTary. In filling the 

 firlt end of the pit a fecond'time with frtfli roots, it will be 

 unnecefl'ary to lllr up the tan, &c. and perhaps it may be 

 fo even at the third filling; but by keeping a thermometer 

 plunged in the bed, or watch-illcks, you will be bell enabled 

 to judge: at all events, there will be no necefiity for adding 

 frefli materials, as he has always found that trenching the 

 bed to the depth of two feet or fo has anfwe-red the purpofe 

 for the whole feafon. If dung or oak leaves are ufed, the 

 bed fhould be turfed; and at leall a foot of very rotten tan 

 or light mould laid on before the roots are placed in. This 

 precaution is unneceffai-y, he fays, when tan alone is ufed; 

 in which cafe, however, not more than an eighth part of 

 new tan ought to be trenched in. 



Melhnd i,f making the Beds, planting the Roots, and Ctdturct 

 When the firll method is followed in the fituation and ex- 

 pofure above defcribed, it is advifed by the authors of the 

 Univerfal Gardener, to mark out the place of the hot-bed, 

 of the proper width and length pioportionably to that 

 of the intended frame or frames, whether one, two, or more; 

 and if a trench is intended, to dig out the cavity, only one 

 moderate fpit deep, and the width as above; then wheel in 

 the dung, and with it form the bed of the proper width and 

 length, either on level ground or in a trench, as juft direfted, 

 ralfing it regularly of the fame dimenfions, about a yard 

 high, efpecially in winter ; but for the final fpring beds, 

 two feet and a half depth of dung may be fufficient, work- 

 ing the whole upright and firm in the ufual manner. 



Mr. Nicol, however, recommends that a fufSciciit quantity 

 of flable dung be fhaken up to heat and fweeten, and that 

 after it has lain fix or eight days, it be turned over and 

 (haken well up again, in which tlate it may lie four or five 

 days more; by which time it will be ready for building the 

 bed; this mult be done in the common way, to the height 

 of four feet in the back and three in front, and about a foot 

 larger than the frame all round ; it is tlhii to be well 

 levelled, the whole covered with fquares of turf, cut fo as to 

 join again exaftly, which arc to be laid the green fide down, 

 and fmoothed well with the back of the fpade; then place 

 the frame thereon, which fliould be thirty inches deep in the 

 back, and twenty in front, in which dry v.'ell-rcduced old 

 tan fhould be laid to the thicknefs of fix or eight inches ; 

 which alfo level, and gently fmooth. with the fpade. 

 Where old tan cannot be procured, he advlfis a hght fardy 

 earth, with a fourth part of good vegetable mould. The 

 bed will begin to heat in twenty-four iicurs, and niufl then 

 have air admitted to pais oil' any fteam that may arife, which 



wilt 



