64 
MANAGEMENT OF PLANTS IN FORCING. 
atmosphere, it appears surprising how any plants can at all flourish within it. 
And yet these are often the places where the best exotics are forced. It cannot be 
too largely insisted that a plant, in its growing stage, is immensely benefited by 
atmospheric moisture ; and this is more emphatically true of forced plants, whose 
tissue is of course more delicate. They ought, then, to be constantly kept in a 
house or pit, the atmosphere of which is bordering on absolute humidity, through 
evaporation from cisterns or gutters, as well as through syringing. 
Light, as an essential agent to all growing vegetation, should be peculiarly sought 
for forced plants ; because forcing is conducted at a time when light is so exceed- 
ingly scanty, and hence when every ray is valuable. The necessity of keeping all 
forced specimens in a position where they will catch the utmost possible quantity 
of solar light, will be strongly apparent, however much it may have been forgotten 
in practice. They should be elevated on stages to within a few inches of the 
roof; or, what is better, they should be placed in a pit within the forcing-house, 
built so as to raise the plants to the desired height. 
And this conducts us at once to bottom-heat, which we regard as the main- 
spring of all forcing operations. It gives out a constant and genial moisture, if the 
material of it be bark or leaves, and it acts upon the roots of plants as well as upon 
their upper portions. Those who are most experienced in forcing will assuredly 
give their support to the employment of bottom-heat. That derived from 
fermenting leaves is the cheapest, and will be among the most appropriate, 
provided they are duly turned, and the power of the heat moderated, before being 
used for plunging the plants in. 
To say much of the subjects fit for forcing, would call for the production of a 
lengthened catalogue, to which we are averse. Each cultivator has two or three 
favourite forcing plants that are not generally used by the rest. We perceive, too, 
with pleasure, that the list is being much extended. It is doubtful policy, we 
admit, to abandon confirmedly good sorts for such as have not been tried. But, 
without discarding such as are known to force well, it will be advisable to try 
experiments on some which seem to promise success : for, in forcing as much as 
in other things, variety is desirable, and novelty here would be all the more 
delightful from the prominence it would gain. We have fancied, especially, that 
the beautiful class of climbers might be more extensively placed in the ranks of 
forced plants, from which they are now almost wholly excluded. 
If it be thought that this article is untimely, because forcing is at present 
nearly concluded, we would urge that the parts to which we have given greatest 
conspicuousness are those which refer to the preparation of flowering plants for 
forcing, and to their treatment after they have been forced. This is the precise 
period for attending to all such matters. 
