FORCING 



73 



maintain a proper supply, that is a continuous supply, a 

 weekly batch according to demand must be started. In 

 a general way, it is good practice when a quantity is cut 

 to replace it by a new lot so that there need be no 

 break in the supply. 



Such places as mushroom houses, or under stages of 

 intermediate houses, can be utilised, or indeed any places 

 with the required temperature, but in large forcing 

 establishments proper houses are devoted to this work. 

 I will explain a few methods which I have adopted for 

 utilising materials which would otherwise not be called 

 into service for anything. 



It was my fortune some years ago to have charge of 

 very large- plantations quite near an oak coppice. In the 

 fall I had all the leaves collected into a large heap. 

 This was levelled and well shaken up, a gentle and very 

 lasting heat being thus secured. Some two light frames 

 were placed in position and about four inches of rotten 

 leaf mould put over the area of the frame. A quantity 

 of seakale plants grown as described were then packed 

 rather thickly in this frame and soil was banked up to 

 the plants as they were placed in rows. When the 

 frames were filled a gentle watering was given, the 

 lights put on. Damaged hay was then put on the lights 

 several inches thick, and a mat put over and fastened to 

 keep all in place. I was careful to maintain a gentle 

 heat which scarcely ever exceeded sixty degrees, and if 

 it fell much below this a good banking of the neighbour- 

 ing leaves, of which there were plenty, was made some- 

 times as high as the frame, so that the sashes only could 

 be discerned. From a batch put in at the beginning of 

 December I cut at Christmas, whilst from some put in 

 later the time required was less, and from a batch put in 

 in the first week of February I have cut grand stuff by the 

 end of the third week of that month. I never tasted better 

 seakale than this proved to be. It is no easy matter to 



