GTG THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. [Feb, 



The plants being ridged out, care must be taken to supply 

 them with air every day, in a greater or less quantity, as the 

 weather and state of the beds may determine. In giving air 

 at this season, great caution is required, so that too much is 

 not given at once, as to chill the frame, and that it be pre- 

 vented from blowing in too great a quantity at once, particu- 

 larly when it is frosty or cold, and coming into immediate 

 contact with the plants ; to prevent this evil, it is well to hang 

 pieces of old thin mats over the openings, so that the current 

 of air blowing through the mats may be broken before it reach 

 the plants. Steam will now abound, particidarly during night, 

 if the beds be of suflicient warmth ; this, although highly ne- 

 cessary for the welfare of the plants, nuist not be suficred to 

 abound too much so as to injure them, it will therefore be ofter. 

 necessary to leave open a small portion for the admission of air 

 during the night, for the more ready escape of the steam ; how- 

 ever, it will always be necessary to let the ends of the mats with 

 which they are covered hang over such openings, to prevent 

 the entrance of cold or frosty air into the beds. These mats 

 nuist, however, be so placed, as to be quite clear of the 

 linings ; for if they be let too low down, they will conduct the 

 noxious rank steam from them into the beds, and will, if such 

 be permitted to any extent, destroy the plants. 



The principal object now to be attended to, is to support 

 u constant steady growing heat in the bed, so as to keep the 

 ^)lants from sustaining any check in their growth. To attain 

 a sulKciency of heat, it is necessary to attend to the heat of 

 the bed; and when the first symptom of its declining appears, 

 let linings of prepared hot dung be applied, sufficiently strong 

 to re-invigorate the declining heat of the bed. If the weather 

 be moderately mild, and the materials of which the beds are 

 formed be good, a little protection laid round the sides of the 

 bed, of dry straw, bean-haulm, fern-fronds, or the like, not of 

 themselves to throw any heat into the bed, but to protect it 

 from the external cold air or cutting winds, may yet be suf- 

 ficient. This precaution being applied in proper time, the 

 heat may be sufficiently retained in the beds for some days 

 longer, and the necessity of ai)plying the linings of hot dung 



