Jan.] 



THE FORCING GARDEN. 



577 



About the beginning of this month, let tlie flues be pro- 

 perly cleaned out, and such repairs as may be necessary done 

 to the houses ; at the same time, let the walls, flues, &c. be 

 well washed with water, and afterwards white-washed with 

 hot lime or whitening ; the wood-work and glass washed with 

 soap and water, and the trellises and vines anointed with a 

 mixture of soft soap, sulphur, and tobacco. The borders 

 ."hould be forked up, and the vines, supposing them to have 

 been pruned in November or December, fastened to the trel- 

 lises, in a neat and orderly manner. The surface of the bor- 

 der should be covered with a coat of rotten dung two or three 

 inches thick, and well watered with the drainings of the dung- 

 hill, sufiicient to penetrate to the full depth of the border. 

 This watering should be repeated occasionally during this 

 month. The border on the outside should also be covered 

 with five or six inches of good moist dung, if not done in au- 

 tumn, which will be of much benefit to the vines, by protect- 

 ing their roots from the effects of severe frosts, as well as con- 

 tributing an additional supply of nourishment to them ; and, 

 indeed, this and the application of liquid manure, are the only 

 means of supplying the necessary nourishment to them, as dig- 

 ging it in would be attended with serious consequences to their 

 roots, however carefully the operation may be performed. 



Some cultivators have recommended supplying the roots with 

 liquid manure, by forming drains under the surface, and allow- 

 ing it to escape from them into the borders ; but when that 



nectar of vegetation," as Nicol calls it, can be supplied by 

 the simple process of pouring it upon the surface, or by spread- 

 ing rich half-rotten dung upon it, as recommended above, we 

 see little to be gained by such draii>s. The liquid manure, 

 applied in itself, will find its way sufficiently deep into the bor- 

 ders, if supplied in a sufficient quantity, and the natural rains 

 of winter will wash down sufficient nutriment from the dung, 

 and should that be thought not sufficient, repeated waterings 

 may be applied as an auxiliary. 



The border should, as directed for the interior one, be 

 carefully forked a few inches in depth, merely to render the 

 surface more porous, and capable of admitting the juices of 

 the dung, but care must be taken not to injure any of the 



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