342 FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



possible until the fruit was all set, when it was 

 raised to 60 degrees, with fire heat, and from 70 to 

 80 degrees by the influence of the sun, always ad- 

 mitting a large portion of air, which was very bene- 

 ficial to the young shoots. The trees being kept 

 well supplied with water, and free from insects, 

 and the young shoots regularly tied to the trellising, 

 a crop of high-flavoured fruit was ripened by the 

 first week of July, a period of little more than eight 

 months from the planting of the trees to the gather- 

 ing of the fruit ; when, if the same aged trees had 

 been planted, without confining their roots, a period 

 of, at least, from two to three years would have 

 elapsed before a crop of fruit would have been pro- 

 duced, and then, very probably, not half the quan- 

 tity that was brought to perfection here the first 

 season. The trees having made, likewise, an abun- 

 dant supply of bearing wood, they were pruned, and 

 the house prepared by the middle of December, 

 to commence forcing for a crop the second year. 

 The fire was again set to work, on the 20th of 

 December, daily admitting a large portion of air, and 

 keeping the temperature in a low state, which 

 brought the sap slowly into motion, and caused the 

 buds to swell and expand stronger than if kept in a 

 high state of excitement. In early forcing of every 

 description, it is more advisable to begin with the 

 lowest state of atmosphere that the weather will per- 

 mit of, and gradually to advance, rather than to com- 

 mence too high. Nicol offers a very judicious re- 

 mark on this subject, " A word to the novice in 

 forcing : — Be diffident, and drive too slow, rather 



