Jav.\ 



THE FORCING GARDEN. 



605 



accidents, from too much heat or noxious steam, let the whole 

 surface be turfed over, the turfs being laid with the grassy side 

 undermost, and beaten well with a spade or tuif-beater, to 

 render the joints as close as possible. Then cover the whole 

 with any light mould, or rotten tan, to the thickness of six 

 or eight inches, upon which to place the pots with the seeds. 

 This covering should be as dry as possible, as it is much easier 

 at this time to v/ater, if too dry, than to render it dry, if too 

 wet, the sun at this season having little power to evaporate any 

 superabundant moisture. The seeds may be sown in small 

 pots, or shallow pans, filled with rich light mould, and covered 

 to the depth of two inches, and placed upon the surface of the 

 bed. As the heat rises, the pots or pans may be either plunged 

 deeper, or still kept upon the surface, accordingly as the heat 

 of the bed may be more or less strong. The bed, from this 

 time forward, must be regularly covered every night with mats, 

 either single or double, according to the state of the weather 

 and the heat of the bed. No air need be admitted, until the 

 heat in the bed begins to rise and the steam begins to appear ; 

 but, upon the appearance of steam, and the young leaves of 

 the plants, care must be taken to tilt up one end of the sash, 

 less or more, to allow the steam to pass freely oif ; this must 

 not only be attended to during the day, but during the night 

 also. If the air be very frosty, or the winds cold, then the 

 ends of the mats should be allowed to hang over the opening, 

 that the air may be broken, and not allowed to blow with 

 force upon the tender plants. Throughout the day, when the 

 light is tilted up for the admission of air, a thin piece of mat 

 should be hung over the opening, for the wind to pass through 

 before reaching the plants. In covering up at night, care should 

 be taken not to allow the ends of the mats to hang over the 

 sides of the frame, particularly after the linings may have 

 been applied, for when this is not attended to, it often occurs 

 that the noxious steam from the dung will be so confined that 

 it cannot escape, and be thereby conveyed into the frames, and 

 destroy the plants. 



The temperature of the seed-bed should be kept up to from 

 G5° to 75^, but a few degrees of diflerence are not of that im- 

 portance which is usually attached to it ; indeed, the plants will 



