PLAN OF A PINE PIT. 
11 
most of its fertilizing properties by the washing away, and evapora¬ 
tion of the ammonia contained in it. Another advantage is that it 
takes away all that anxiety from the gardener, which he naturally 
feels when he depends upon fire heat, it may he glazed at a small 
expense hy using glass six inches by three with a narrow lap; vol. 1, 
page 577. There are no expensive pipes to pay for, no coals to buy, 
no flue to clean, and no encouragement given to insects. This is not 
a mere theoretical j)lan, hut has been sometime in practice in differ¬ 
ent gardens, among others at Waldersliare Park, Lord Guildford’s, 
and at my brother-in-laws at Rossall Hall, where we have this year 
cut some very large and well flavoured pines. I have constructed 
my hotbeds at Heysham upon the same principle, and expect to 
have an excellent crop of forced rhubarb, early cucumbers, melons 
and strawberries. The manure of four horses is sufficient to keep up 
the heat of one of these large pits. Those who have many farm 
horses might reap some profit by raising pines, and sending them up 
to London, as they will bear carriage to any distance. The best way 
of procuring a stock of plants is to get the captain of some South 
American or West Indian vessel to bring over a few hundred crowns 
and suckers from the West Indies, where they may be had for a few 
pence as the hogs are there fed with the fruit. They might be 
packed in moss, and would keep some months out of the ground. 
The bark bed in which the pines are sunk must be filled with 
spent bark, which may generally be had at any tannery for carriage. 
For pine heat it will require about ten single horse cart loads of ma¬ 
nure to fill the lining pits, they must be replenished every month in 
winter, and every six weeks in summer, by taking away half the 
manure, namely that at the bottom, forking the top into its place, 
and putting five loads of fresh upon the top of that. 
For the melons and cucumbers it is requisite to have a layer of 
good earth twenty inches thick on the top of the bark, and the heat 
must be moderated for fear of burning the roots of the plants, if 
owing to the thickness of the earth the heat between it and the glass 
should not be found sufficient, Mr. Knight’s plan might be adopted 
to cause a warm atmosphere for the plants to grow in, two hollow 
wooden pipes might be laid in the bark, and by means of communi¬ 
cating pipes, having stoppers to them, the heat might be let in when 
required. The garden weeds, leaves, and vegetable waste, may be 
mixed up with the manure, and will increase its fermentation in the 
lining pits. The wood for the covers must be cut crosswise to pre¬ 
vent warping with the steam, and should be two inches thick. 
