Fc'fj.] THE FORCING GARDTA\ GG.) 



tne inside. The whole of the structure, excepting the wall of 

 bricks and the row of posts, was moveable, so that when not 

 required for one piece of wall, it could be carried to another. 

 In this house, during the winter months, we constantly grew 

 small salads, mustard, cress, &c., in shallow boxes and flat 

 pans placed upon the ridge of dung. It also served for a 

 hospital for sickly and diseased exotics, which, when placed 

 upon the dung or plunged into it, soon recovered, if their 

 diseases did not proceed from causes, to which this mode of 

 treatment was not congenial. The roof was regularly matted 

 up at nights, w^hcn tlie weather v»'as so severe as to require it 



In a communication to the London Hort. Soc. by Mr. An- 

 derson, a method of forcing vines upon a large scale is re- 

 corded, as practised by J. French^ Esq., at Hornden, Essex, 

 for nearly the last twenty years. 



" About the beginning of Marcli, Mr. French commences 

 his forcing by introducing a quantity of new long dung, taken 

 from under the cow-cribs in his straw-yard, being principally, 

 if not entirely, cow- dung, which is laid upon tlie floor of his 

 house, extending nearly from end to end, and in width about 

 six or seven feet, leaving only a pathway between it and the 

 back walls of the house. The dung being all new at the be- 

 ginning, a profuse steam rises from the first heat, which, in 

 this stage of the process, is found to be beneficial in de- 

 stroying the ova of insects, as well as transfusing a wholesome 

 moisture over the yet leafless branches, but whicli might prove 

 injurious, if permitted to rise in so great a quantity, when the 

 leaves are pushed forth. In a few days, the violence of the 

 steam abates as the buds open, and in the course of a fort- 

 night the heat begins to diminish ; it then becomes necessary 

 to carry in a small addition of fresh dung, laying it in the 

 bottom, and covering it over with the old dung freshly worked 

 up ; by which a renovated heat and a moderate exhalation of 

 moist vapour are produced. In this manner the heat is kept 

 up throughout the season ; the fresh supplies of dung being 

 always laid at the bottom, in order to smother the steam, or 

 rather to moderate the quantity of exhalation ; for it must 

 always be remembered, that Mr. French attaches great virtue 

 to the supply of a reasonable portion of the vapour. The 



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