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LXIV. An Account of a Method of forcing Vines ^(/Nec- 

 tarines ; practised by Joseph French, Esq. of East Horn- 

 den, in Essex. By George Anderson, Esq. F.L.S. $c. 



Read October 1, 1816. 



On the 23d of September I paid a visit at the request of a 

 friend, to Mr. French, a farmer of eminence at East Horn- 

 den, to see his method of forcing by means of dung-heat ; and 

 I am induced to transmit the observations I made upon the 

 spot, to the Horticultural Society, being of opinion that it will 

 prove an important discovery in the art of forcing. 



Mr. French's garden is situated on elevated ground, greatly 

 exposed to the east and north winds; the soil too, is heavy 

 and cold. With these disadvantages to contend with, he suc- 

 ceeds uniformly in producing an abundant crop, by the plan 

 which he follows ; even in the present unfavourable season, 

 whilst the neighbouring Noblemen and Gentlemen's houses 

 are nearly unproductive, his trees are profusely covered with 

 the finest fruit, now ripe. He has two forcing-houses, a 

 Vinery, and a Nectarine house ; and I shall proceed to describe 

 his method of treatment as accurately as an interview of a 

 few hours has afforded me the means of doing. It is ex- 

 tremely simple, and will be best understood by a reference 

 to the annexed section of his Vinery. 



About the beginning of March, Mr. French commences 

 his forcing, by introducing a quantity of new long dung, 

 taken from under the cow-cribs in his straw yard ; being 



