FORCING DEPARTMENT. 335 



full bearing state, in consequence of the border not 

 being properly prepared when they were first planted. 

 The soil that appears to me the most suitable, is the 

 top spit of a pasture, which consists of a yellow 

 loam, rather strong in quality than of too sandy a 

 nature. Whilst the Peach-House was erecting here, 

 a large quantity of this mould was drawn contiguous 

 to the building, and incorporated with about one- 

 fourth good decon posed stable dung, which was 

 turned over once a month, for three months pre- 

 viously to using. 



As soon as the houses were finished, the interior 

 and exterior borders were excavated to the depth of 

 three feet six inches, and about twenty-five feet in 

 width, measuring from the back wall ; but allowing 

 two feet of a fall from back to front : along the edge 

 of the walk, parallel to the house, a large drain 

 was formed for carrying off the water that might 

 collect on the border ; the bottom of the drain 

 was kept about eight inches lower than the bottom 

 of the border, which consists of a strong retentive 

 blue clay, and, by being bevelled off from back to 

 front, the water passes readily into the drain, and 

 keeps the border free from wet. 



Immediately over the substratum, about six 

 inches of brick bats, and rough lime rubbish, were 

 laid, and then the remaining three feet filled up with 

 the compost previously prepared; but keeping the 

 whole from 10 to 12 inches higher than the ground 

 or floor level, as an allowance for subsiding. The 

 soil should be firmly trod in betwixt the piers of the 

 front wall, or any other interstices, when it cannot 



