Forcing-hills 



345 



rains. A clod of earth or a stone may be placed on the pane 

 to hold it down. This type of forcing-hill is not much 

 made, because the bank of earth is likely to wash away, 

 and heavy rain occurring when the glass is off will fill 

 the hill with water and drown the plant. However, it can 

 be used to very good advantage when the gardener can 

 give it close attention. 



A forcing-hill is sometimes made by digging a hole in 

 the ground and planting the 'seeds in the bottom of it, 

 placing the pane of glass on a slight ridge or mound made 

 on the surface. This method is less desirable than the 

 other, because the seeds are placed in the poorest and cold- 

 est soil, alid the hole is very likely to fill with water in 

 the early days of spring. 



An excellent type of forcing-hill is made by the use of 

 the hand-box, as shown in Fig. 214. This is a rectangu- 

 lar box, without top or bottom, 

 and a pane of glass is slipped 

 into a groove at the top. The 

 earth is banked slightly about 

 the box, to hold it against 

 winds and to prevent the water 

 from running into it. If these 

 boxes are made of good lumber and painted, they will last 

 for many years. Any size of glass may be used, but a 

 10 X 12 pane is as good as any for general purposes. 



After the plants are well established in these forcing- 

 hills and the weather is settled, the protection is wholly 

 removed, and the plants grow normally in the open. Forc- 

 ing-hills are not well adapted to large-area work, as they 

 require too much time in the tending. Neither do they 



