WAT 



of garden-watering, and under the heads of the different 

 plants, as they may require it ; but the nature of its ap- 

 plication, in thefe cafes, may be explained in the prefent 

 place. 



For plants in thefe fituations, Mr. Fordyce has advifed 

 the ufe of iimple water only, in clearing them from different 

 nuifances to which they are expofed, though lime-water in 

 other cafes may be more powerful and have a better effeft, 

 as will be feea below. It is diredled to be applied in this 

 manner. About four o'clock in the afternoon a barrow- 

 engine is to be filled with foft water, or fuch as has been ex- 

 pofed to the fun through the day, and wheeled along the 

 foot-paths of the houfes, where they are wide enough to 

 receive it, and the whole of the plants fprinkled with the 

 fluid, by preffmg the finger on the top of the pipe of the 

 engine, in order to fpread the water fomewhat in the manner 

 of a fine fhower of rain, playing the engine and throwing the 

 fluid likewife againft the top-lights and fhelves of the houfes, 

 until the water Hands an inch deep in the paths of the houfes. 

 A fmall copper engine may be made ufe of, and anfwers 

 very well, when a barrow-engine cannot be got into the houfes. 

 It may be had in moil places. But if an engine Ihould not 

 be conveniently at hand, which can be got into the houfes, 

 the front-lights may be opened, or, where there are no front- 

 Lghts, the top-lights may be flided down, and the water be 

 thrown in at the fronts or tops. When this operation is 

 begun, if in the infide, every light mull be clofe fhut down ; 

 and if the water be thrown in at the fronts or tops, one 

 light only is to be kept open, which is immediately to be 

 fliut, when that part of the houfe, which is oppofitc to it, 

 is fufRciently watered ; then proceeding to open others until 

 the whole be properly watered. The houfes after this are 

 to be kept clofe until the next morning ; which will caufe 

 fuch an exhalation from the glafs of the houfes, and the beds 

 that may be in them, if there fhould be any, that the 

 plants will, it is faid, be covered all over with fleam or va- 

 pour ; which will infallibly deflroy and clear them of the 

 vermin and other hurtful matters that may be upon them, 

 efpecially thofe of the plant-loufe and coccus kinds. This 

 fort of watering is, however, to be repeated every afternoon, 

 !in the time of hot weather only. By it a great deal of la- 

 'bour in watering will be faved ; but fuch plants as ftand in 

 , need of much watering, fhould have the water given them 

 ■before the fprinkling of the houfes is begun. In moft cafes, 

 the plants will have imbibed all the moilture before morn- 

 'ing, and the paths of the houfes will be perfeftly dry. 

 ; As it fometimcs happens that in hard winters, when ftrong 

 'fires are under the neceflity of being kept in the ftoves or 

 lother houfes night and day, that the plants which ftand on 

 ;fhelvc3 in thofe of the dry kind, are fo parched up, that the 

 'leaves drop off, as from deciduous trees in the autumnal fea- 

 |fon, which renders them very difagreeable in their appear- 

 jance ; it fliould be prevented or remedied by watering, in 

 the manner diredled below by the fame writer. About eight 

 o'clock in the morning, when the fun fhines out, and there 

 lis the appearance of a fine day, water is to be thrown into 

 jthe houfes until the floors are covered to the depth of nearly 

 ;two inches ; they being kept fhut the whole day, unlefs the 

 jheat rifes very high, which is feldom the cafe at fuch a 

 .feafon of the year, but when it does happen, the doors may 

 be opened to admit a little air. By the middle of the day, 

 the water becomes entirely exhaled, and the floors quite dry. 

 pThe operation may be repeated two or three times in a week 

 |in fu.nny weather. The plants in tlie courfc of a week's time 

 ibegin to recover, or throw out new foliage, and in a fort- 

 inight or three weeks become in full leaf ag^n, difplaying 

 Ihemfelves in a fine manner, 



WAT 



This fort of watering is greatly ufeful on many other 

 occafions, as in the growth of plants in the pits of fuch 

 houfes. 



Fruit-trees in fuch houfes may alfo be watered in the 

 fame manner with much benefit in fome cafes ; btit for thofe 

 againil walls, a lime-water prepared by putting thirty-two 

 gallons of foft water to half a peck of unflaked Ume is re- 

 commended to be ufed in this manner. With the clear li- 

 quid, after the hme has fubfided, the engine is to be filled, 

 and a good watering given to the trees, throwing a confider- 

 able part of it forcibly under the leaves, and fpreading it 

 finely by the means direfted above ; at the fame time, wheeling 

 it backwards and forwards, that no parts of the trees may 

 be miffed. This fhould be performed when the weather is 

 cloudy, or when the fun is off the wall tliat contains the trees. 

 Where the trees are on an eafl wall, the watering may be 

 begun about half paft eleven o'clock ; if on a north wall, the 

 watering may be done the firfl thing in the morning ; and 

 when they are on a fouth wall, it may be executed about 

 four o'clock in the afternoon : it is to be repeated once a 

 day for fix or feven days in fucceflion. If, however, there 

 fhould be cold northerly or eafterly winds, or frofty nights, 

 fuch watering fhould be difcontinued until the weather be- 

 comes more mild and temperate. Care is coiiftantly necef- 

 fary that the trees get dry before night, and that no water- 

 ing takes place while the fun is upon them. Care is hke- 

 wife to be taken not to water them with any of the grounds 

 of the limey liquid, which would injure the leaves, and make 

 the trees look very mifightly. 



This fort of watering, with the ufe of hme and wood-afh 

 dufl to the under-fides of the leaves, are found extremely effec- 

 tual in deflroying and clearing away every thing noxious 

 about the trees, and in rendering them healthy and produc- 

 tive. See Watering, in Gardening. 



VJ ATERlKG-Pots, Pans, or Cans, arc fuch contrivances 

 of this nature as are fuited for pouring water over feeds, 

 plants, trees, &;c. in pots or otherways in a fine fhowcry 

 divided flate, they being provided with flrainers or rofes of 

 a finer or coarfer kind for the purpofe, well adapted to their 

 fpouts. They are particularly convenient for potted plants 

 of all forts, as well as many other kinds. They form the 

 principal mode of hand-watering. 



Wateiung Sheep, in ylgrlcuUure, the fupplying them with 

 water. This is particularly neceffary in the management of 

 flocks in fome fituations, as on the South Downs ; and as 

 there is there no other water than what is to be collefted by 

 fome artificial method, ponds are conftrufted for retaining 

 fucli water as falls in rain ; thofe, for this ufe, are commonly 

 made circular, and very gently floping to the centre ; the 

 bed very flrongly rammed down to prevent any lofs by 

 foaking through the chalk. As ponds are liable to become 

 leaky, and to be fpoiled by a hard froil,. they are made by 

 lining them with chalk, puddled and trod down until it 

 makes a fort of plaifler floor. If a little good flone lime 

 were fifted evenly over the whole and trod well in with 

 the chalk, it would probably effedl the bufinefs of ren- 

 dering them perfeftly retentive of the water under all cir- 

 cumftanccs. 



In Italy the fheep-fiocks were regularly watered morning 

 and evening, as is evident from Columella, and the practice 

 has probably confiderable utihty, efpecially in dry fitu- 

 ations. 



WATERlKG-5jiWn§'?, in Gardening, a large kind of garden 

 fyringe employed for throwing water to fome height over 

 trees or plants, in rather a forcible manner, in the way of 

 a flream, for clearing away infefts and other mattery as well 

 as feme other purpofes. 



Y z Watering 



