Feb.] the ORCHARD. 141 
forcing, the heat is generally continued stronger, as they bear it 
in a higher degree, whereby to forward the fruit to the earliest per- 
fection. 
According as the fruit advances to full growth, continue assisting 
them by waterings; and give them free air every warm sunny dayj 
and when advancing towards I'ipening, encourage a strong heat in the 
middle of the day, by admitting less or more air, in proportion to 
the power of the sun, to forward their maturity, and promote a rich 
flavour. 
Thus the fruits will ripen earlier by two months, or more, in. 
some, than their natural time of perfection in the open ground and 
full air. 
In the above forcing departments you may also place pots of cur- 
rants, gooseberries, raspberries, and strawberries, &c. 
THE ORCHARD. 
THE feelings of a lover of improvement can scarcely be expressed, 
on observing the almost universal inattention paid to the greater num- 
ber of our Orchards, and that people who go to a considerable ex- 
pence in planting and establishing them, afterwards leave them to 
the rude hand of nature; as if the art and ingenuity of man availed 
nothing, or that they merited no further care: however, it is to be 
hoped, that the good example, and the consequent success, of the 
careful and industrious, will stimulate others to pay the necessary 
attention to these departments, and thereby to serve themselves as 
well as the community at large. 
At this season, you can conveniently perform the very necessary 
and important works of pruning, of scraping and rubbing off moss 
and other parasitic plants, and of manuring the ground where want- 
ed; and as much depends on these dressings, they should by no 
means be neglected, more especially, as this is a very eligible time 
for performing them, and one, with which other business does not 
frequently interfere. 
For the method of pruning these trees and other necessary ob- 
servations, I refer you to the article Orchard last month, page 45, &c. 
Where trees are much overrun with moss, it may be remov- 
ed as directed in page 46; or a strong man, with a good birch broom 
in a wet day, would do great execution. The best method of des- 
troying moss on young trees, is to rub all the branches affected, in 
spring or autumn, or in both if necessary, with a hard scrubbing- 
brush and soap-suds. This will not only remove the moss, but tend 
considerably to prevent its sudden return. 
