Jan.] THE FORCING GARDEN. 561 



able in fermentation than any other; however, beech, horn- 

 beam, and Spanish chestnut, are nearly as good. Those of 

 ash, all sorts of fruit-trees, horse-chestnut, and lime should be 

 rejected, if plenty of the others can be readily procuredr 

 They should be collected as soon as they fall from the trees 

 in sufficient quantities, or as soon after as is practicable, and 

 be gathered into large heaps in different parts of the woods ; 

 or, if there be convenience, they will be more handy, if brought 

 at once to some place near to the forcing-houses or pits. There 

 should be a neat inclosure formed, capable of containing a 

 sufficient quantity for the season, open at top, and the sides 

 secured with boards four or five inches broad, and three or 

 four inches apart from each other, with a gate sufficiently 

 large to allow a cart to go in and out, for the convenience of 

 filling the place with leaves, as well as for taking them out, if 

 wanted, to a greater distance than it would be deemed right 

 to convey them by any other means. This will prevent them 

 from being blown about over the garden, and will render the 

 place neat and clean. They will here ferment, and be at all 

 times ready for use ; if they should be put in very dry, which 

 often is the case, they should be watered for the purpose of 

 commencing fermentation, and it may be found hereafter neces- 

 sary to repeat this watering. It would be very useful to have 

 another place of the same dimensions, and similarly construct- 

 ed, in which to place dry leaves ; if well trodden when put in, 

 they would keep for many months, and be extremely useful 

 in summer for many purposes, and in the autumn following, 

 before the leaves fall off the trees. 



In putting them into the pine-pits, if they be dry, they 

 should be watered and well trodden, so that they will not sink 

 too much afterwards. When the pits are full of leaves, the 

 plants may be plunged in them in the usual manner, or there 

 may be laid a few inches of tan upon the surface, upon which, 

 when properly levelled, place the pine-pots, filling up the 

 spaces between the rows of plants, as the process proceeds, 

 closely with tan. Two wagon-loads of tan will be sufficient 

 for a large house, and will last for this purpose a season. If 

 tan cannot be procured, saw-dust may be used as a substitute, 

 or plunge them in the more decomposed leaves, taken from 



4 c 



