248 On a Method of Forcing Vines and Nectarines. 



either inwards or outwards ; but although he admitted this 

 to be a disadvantage, and allowed that a forcing-house ought 

 to be air-tight, yet he attaches little importance to it ; so 

 long as he obtains a sufficient heat at so small an expense, 

 he can afford this waste, and no doubt reasons thus, " if 

 my houses yield me as much good fruit as the trees ought 

 to bear, (which unquestionably they at present do,) what 

 occasion is there for me to do more, to improve what is 

 already perfect, as far as respects the return I obtain from 

 them ?" 



Nor does he find occasion to watch his houses with care ; 

 he often leaves them for several days together unregarded ; 

 being absent on his other avocations. 



The Grapes in his vinery were counted this season ; they 

 amounted to between six and seven hundred full-sized 

 bunches, covering equally the whole glazed surface of the 

 house from the ground to the back wall; the weight of 

 fruit is estimated at about eleven to twelve hundred weight. 

 There were three bunches of the Damson Grape growing 

 close to each other, which, together, we computed to weigh 

 ten pounds. 



The Vines are not trained horizontally, but nearly verti- 

 cally in one direction, and parallel with the inclination of the 

 roof in another. They are supported on a trellis of laths, 

 suspended from the rafters, as described in the section, about 

 14 inches below the glass, intersected by cross laths forming 

 the trellis work. 



The expense of forcing, independant of the cost and re- 

 pairs of the house, is confined to the labour of turning and 

 removing the dung ; Mr. French finds that one man can 



