204 TREATISE o n 



The fucceeding fpring, about the beginning of April, prepare 

 another hot-bed, which need only to be arched over with hoops, 

 and covered with mats ; raife the feedhngs (which, with regular 

 care being taken, ought to be fix or feven inches high) with a 

 trowel, with all the earth polTible adhering to them, and put 

 them in penny pots filled with fuch foil as formerly mentioned ; 

 plunge thefe to the rim immediately on removal into the hot-bed ; 

 water them, and continue conflantly to do fo gently as you fee 

 the furface become dry, and let them remain in. this flate till the 

 beginning of Augufl ; but harden them gradually, by expofing 

 them to the open air all the preceding month in moift calm wea- 

 ther. At this time take them out of the bark, and place them in 

 any warm fpot, under the protection of hedges, till October, 

 when they may be expofed to the winter fun in any fituation 

 moft convenient, where a mat can be thrown over them during 

 a fevere ftorm. The following fpring, take all the mould (now 

 exhaufled) from the furface, till you approach the roots, and fill 

 the pots again with rich earth ; remove them to a fliady border 

 till autumn, watering them in dry weather every fecond or at 

 moft third evening, and then expofe them again under a wall or 

 hedge to the winter fun. 



Hj^ving now flood twofeafons in the pots, let them be fhaken 

 cautioufly out of them with all their bulks of earth, which may 

 eafily be done, as by this time the under part of the pots will be 

 full of roots and fibres ; pick away as much earth from the 

 outer part of the bulk, without breaking the whole, as you can, 

 not difturbing the roots, and cut off with a very fharp knife fuch 

 as from confinement may be mouldy or mufly ; plunge them in 

 water and earth for an hour, and then place them in two-penny 



