Jan.] 



THE FORCING GARDEN. 



593 



Otherwise. It should be an object of the forcing-gardener at 

 all times to allow a few degrees of rise during sunshine, and 

 towards the afternoon of each day ; then to throw open the 

 lights of the hot-house, to keep the temperature throughout the 

 day equal or below that of the night ; yet the following is too 

 generally the case : fires are kept up during night, and the 

 heated air confined so as to exceed the temperature throughout 

 the day, whereas the reverse ought to be the case. The nearer 

 we approach to nature in the regulation of most artificial tem- 

 peratures, the more likely are we to be successful. 



Plentiful supplies of water should be given to the plants, 

 particularly over head, with the garden syringe, and the house 

 should be steamed every night, by pouring water upon the 

 flues, or by other means, so as to keep up a moist tempera- 

 ture, which will gi'eatly promote the swelling and breaking of 

 the buds. As the trees begin to break into wood, they should 

 be supplied with portions of liquid manure to their roots ; tliere 

 is no method of manuring plants in pots so convenient nor so 

 effectual. 



Where a regular cherry-house is wanting, we would recom- 

 mend a simple structure for the forcing of cherries, apricots, 

 plums, and figs. Supposing, as has been directed already in 

 planting fruit-trees against walls, that the different sorts of 

 fruits have been planted by tliemselves, we would select a por- 

 tion of a southern wall, already furnished with trees in a full- 

 bearing state, of the sorts wished to be forced, and against one 

 or more trees, erect a portable-house or glass-case, which 

 if the walls be furnished with flues, or built hollow, can be 

 heated sufficiently ; or if they have not been so built, then a 

 temporary flue may be introduced through the wall from a fur- 

 nace behind, and carried along the surface of the border within 

 the house, elevated a few inches above the surface, and made 

 to pass through the wall again, and the smoke carried off' by 

 means of an upright flue carried up behind, and equal to the 

 height of the wall. The rafters which support the sashes 

 should be fixed to the top of the wall by means of screw bolts, 

 which may remain fixed in the wall, and made to pass through 

 the end of each rafter, with a nut to keep them secure ; these 

 rafters need not be heavy, as the weight of the sashes will 



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