FORCING DEPARTMENT. 355 



twixt the front wall and hot-water pipes, where the 

 Vines are planted, had a covering of three inches oi 

 half decayed dung put over it, on the first symptoms 

 of frost, to preserve the young fibres from any check, 

 while in a dormant state. About the first of March, 

 the dung was removed, and the space forked over, 

 and from two to three inches of leaf-mould laid over 

 the surface, which added considerable nourishment 

 to the young roots that were now in a vegetating 

 state. The exterior border, that had been laid up in 

 ridges, in order to pulverize by the frost, was now 

 levelled down ; and the remaining rafters, still unoc- 

 cupied with Vines, were planted about the middle of 

 March ; it would be difficult to say, whether those 

 planted in Autumn, or in Spring, are now the best 

 plants. The former had certainly the superiority 

 over the latter, in their first year's growth ; which 

 would arise from the roots having got hold of the 

 ground before the Winter set in, and not meeting 

 with any check, until the sap was again in motion. 

 The distance Vines are generally planted apart : 

 the common rule is, to place one to every rafter, 

 which will be more than sufficient for narrow houses, 

 particularly for the growth of the Black Hamburgh, 

 Syracuse, Black Damascus, the White Alicant, and 

 several others of the large growing kinds, which re- 

 quire a great length of rafter for their development. 

 It is, however, more advisable, when planting 

 Vineries, to put in a greater number of plants than 

 are intended permanently to remain, in order to 

 have some to choose from, in case any failures 

 should occur, or any of the sorts prove of an inferior 

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