THE FORCING GARDEN. 



763 



to their wants ; as, during that season, the sashes cannot be 

 opened to admit of that operation without running a risk of 

 having the plants injured by being exposed to the cold. Many 

 gardeners, however, contrive to cultivate these plants so as to 

 cut their fruit by Christmas, and often during all the winter 

 months, by using only the common hot-bed and frame. This, 

 however, is a precarious and laborious method, and cannot be 

 effected except with plenty of dung, which is, for the most 

 part, rather a scarce article in gardens. One great objection 

 to the common dung-bed and frame for this purpose, is the too 

 great abundance of steam, which naturally follows a strong 

 bottom-heat, without which a sufficient temperature cannot be 

 kept up during the winter months. To obviate this, pits have 

 been built at the suggestion, we believe, of Mr. Gould, one of 

 the assistants in the royal gaiulens at Windsor, and one of 

 the most successful cultivators of this plant in the country, 

 the principle of which is founded on just and rational ideas ; 

 namely, heating the atmosphere of the pit, by admitting 

 the heat of dung linings to enter it without passing through 

 the body of mould in which the roots are growing. Steam is 

 precluded, as the heat has to find its way into the bed by 

 passing through the tiles or bricks which form the sides of 

 the pit. M'Phail's pits, already noticed, are in principle 

 somewhat similar, but are much more expensive in the first 

 erection, and always require a greater quantity of dung to 

 keep up the necessary temperature. A sufficient degree of 

 steam may be produced at any time in these pits by sprinkling 

 water on the heated brick-work ; and still farther to defend 

 the plants from the danger of damping, the shoots are trained 

 to a trelhs near the glass, which trellis may be so constructed 

 as to be elevated close to the glass in fine weather, or let down 

 from it when it is unfavorable. 



