143 
plants in general, if they are from an early propagation, and 
consequently well established in their pots, they may be pre- 
served with facility, in any ordinary structure, without artificial 
heat, providing they are tolerably dry in their pots, and kept 
free from all moisture of an extraneous character, until the end 
of January, by which time some few may require a little water. 
Every means must be taken to dispel accumulating damps, by 
a most liberal amount of ventilation. During very severe 
weather, they must be not only covered with mats, but have a 
thick coating of litter over the mats, and it is well to add another 
course of mats over the litter. The sides of the protector, or 
frame, too, must be protected with soil, or lining of some 
kind. 
If they should be slightly frozen, they must be carefully 
screened from sunshine till the frost ceases, and then gradually 
thawed : this is best done by tilting the lights about a couple of 
inches, leaving the shading on until the next day at least. 
327 Potatoes. We now come to an article which, to produce 
early, requires a little artificial bottom warmth. Potatoes may 
be forwarded in the first stage, without any special provision of 
the kind; and, indeed, it is the very best [)lan with the ash- 
leaved kidney, which is by far best, when established in pots be- 
fore planting. Our practice is to insert single whole tubers of 
the middle size, in five-inch pots, about Christmas. These are 
placed in any dark room or structure, where a fire is kept occa- 
sionally, covering the pots over with moist litter, to prevent the 
soil drying up in the pots. In less than a month they will be 
up, with strong shoots, and may at once be planted in a prepared 
frame, or the protector, with a bottom warmth of about 70°. If 
this be made of fermenting material, it should be old and half- 
spent, for the sooner the bottom heat declines, after the Potatoes 
are six inches high, the better. Of course, when once above 
ground, they must have plenty of light and air, and be well pro- 
tected from frost. 
328 Carrots, Early. Their treatment is simple, and similar to 
the Potato; the z)paque protectors, if at liberty, will forward 
them a little, without bottom warmth. Sown, however, in a 
glazed protector in January, with a slight bottom heat, they 
will be obtained very early, 
329 Radishes, 'May be sown in alternate drills with early Car- 
312 . acctarium. 
