FORCING DEPARTMENT. 31)5 



perature of the house must now be continued from 

 70 to 75 degrees in the evenings, and from 80 to 

 90 degrees in the day. When the thermometer falls 

 under 70 degrees during the night, recourse should 

 be had to a little fire heat, to increase the atmosphere 

 to the degree required, which will promote the swell- 

 ing and maturity of the fruit. The plants should, 

 also, be regularly supplied with liquid manure at the 

 roots, and a humid congenial heat be kept up in the 

 house, by which means good sized fruit will be pro- 

 duced for the table during the months of November 

 and December, when it is frequently in great requi- 

 sition ; especially as there is a scarcity of other 

 fruits at this season. They are, however, considered 

 inferior in flavour to those that have the full 

 benefit of the Midsummer sun. Some kinds, such 

 as the Blood-Tied, St. Vincent, Enville's, &c. are 

 more appropriate for late forcing than some other 

 kinds. The Queen Pine seldom swells its fruit well 

 in the Winter months, and requires a high degree of 

 temperature to bring it to perfection. This Pine, as 

 well as most of the other varieties, may be brought 

 to maturity without the aid of fire heat ; but the tem- 

 perature of the compartments in which it is grown 

 must be kept to the degree of heat necessary, by the 

 application of strong dung linings round the exterior of 

 the structures. This mode of heating is frequently 

 attended with more trouble and expense than fire 

 heat, especially when there is a scarcity of dung, &c. 

 for this purpose. 



The Pine plants that are grown in a moist dung 

 heat, are not so subject to be attacked by insects, as 

 3 e 2 



