Jan.] THE FORCING GARDEN. G17 



pipes through the pits, where dung, leaves, or tan, are not 

 readily procured, or where the pits are placed contiguous to 

 the culinary forcing-houses ; and, where neatness and order are 

 attended to, these means will be preferable to dung-beds, as 

 from the nature of their materials and structure, they have no 

 very inviting appearance when placed out of what has hitherto 

 been called the melon-gi'ound, which has generally more the 

 appearance of a dung-yard than any other appendage to a well- 

 ordered garden. Where economy is an object, and plenty of 

 dung to be had, the success will be complete upon such beds 

 with little trouble or expense ; but where neatness is more an 

 object, any of the other means will answer equally well, under 

 the same treatment already laid down for dung-beds, only, from 

 the nature of fire-heat by means of hot flues, water must be 

 given to the roots in sufficient quantity to keep the mould 

 always in a state fit for vegetation ; not that the roots of as- 

 paragus, or any other perennial root similar to it, require that 

 share of food, which is supposed by some to be derived from 

 the mould in which the roots are placed during their period of 

 forcing, but to keep it in a state sufficiently moist to promote 

 that genial atmosphere, in which almost all plants prefer to 

 live, as well as to keep the degree of moisture equal at their 

 roots, and not to have them scorched up by the heat of the 

 flues. It is seldom necessary, for the production of this vege- 

 table, to have recourse to such a degree of heat, as to require 

 the flues to be kept hot so long as to give a sufficiency 

 of moisture to the atmosphere of the pit, by pouring water 

 upon them ; for which reason, the necessity of giving it to the 

 mould becomes the more apparent. Pits heated by means of 

 steam can be readily steamed, or kept in a moist state, by 

 allowing a part of it to escape in the pit, at such times as may 

 be deemed necessary ; still it may occur that water may be 

 required at their roots also, although in a less degree. The 

 pits heated by means of hot water made to circulate through 

 them in pipes will answer every purpose of the above, and 

 although not yet in general use, will, in all probability, be 

 generally adopted in all forcing-gardens, particularly in pits 

 for the acceleration and maturation of fruits, culinary vege- 



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