January 22 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
253 
of the internal warmth. It is a very good plan to have 
some wooden protectors covered with mats or straw, 
made specially; we use the former, for they are speedily 
made, the frame work being firm, they are renewed at 
any time in five minutes. These may be made like a 
sash-frame, four sides, of about half the substance of a 
cucumber-light, with a diagonal strip at each angle to 
strengthen it. We make these just the size of a full- 
sized Russia mat, which is, we believe, about eight feet 
long or so, and perhaps four feet wide. When we receive 
our stock of mats for the season, we sort out all the red¬ 
dest and most oily-looking for such purposes, and such 
we stretch on this frame, one mat to each, nailing it 
round the edge, the nails being driven through a piece of ! 
list to secure them. These we find valuable things; indeed 
better than the boughs, although rather more expen¬ 
sive, but they save labour. Our linings are always sur¬ 
rounded with a frame of these, so that it may be said i 
each frame is in a little snug framed ground ot its own, 
and the saving of labour consists in the speed with j 
which they can be removed when operations become 
necessary, for, in this case, the boughs are more tedious. 
On the clever management of the linings, much of 
the success of the forcer depends, and amongst other 
points, turnings should be practised once a week, if 
possible, until April. All materials should be fermented 
slightly before used, in order to secure equal moisture, 
and when applied to the pits or frames all snow be 
swept off as soon as possible : nothing depresses the 
temperature worse than snow. In very windy wea¬ 
ther, and when the temperature becomes suddenly de¬ 
pressed, we are in the habit of elevating our protec¬ 
tors so as to carry the wind completely above the face of 
the glass. The front, or south side linings should ever 
receive most attention; for as the heat within will 
follow the inclination of the roof, or, in other words, will 
rise,, a liberal supply must be insured where the greatest 
demand exists. And here we must urge another well- 
known maxim amongst the practicals ; that is, never to 
disturb the whole of your linings at one time; do the 
front this week, and the back in the next, and so on 
with the rest. 
And now a few words about the interior of the frame, 
beginning with a talk about sueet dung, certainly not a 
consistent mode of expression at first sight; but as we 
have no other technical mode of description more appro 
priate, and as it will not do for every scribbler to coin 
words, the term, perhaps, had better pass on. Sweet¬ 
ness, then, in the dung, of which the early bed must bo 
in part compounded, is so essential, that all the pre¬ 
ceding prattle about linings may speedily be rendered 
useless by a non-observance of this previous arrange¬ 
ment. It was before observed, that the “ working of 
dung” was handled in close detail in preceding numbers; 
we will, however, so far trespass on the courtesy of 
our more experienced readers as to point to a few 
facts. 
If fresh dung from the stable door be thrown speedily 
| in a heap, in a moist state, it will give out most delete¬ 
rious gases for some time; and, if not turned in a week 
or ten days, an excess of dryness will occur, which will 
shortly render the dung well-nigh useless lor heating 
I purposes. Regular moisture is absolutely necessary, 
| and by a due amount of this, and a frequent turning, 
I so as to expose in duo succession all parts of the heap 
to the action of the atmosphere, the process termed by 
gardeners “ sweetening ” is accomplished, which is a 
brief term for driving oil' the ammoniacal gases. 
So, then, frequent turning and moistening is the way 
to dissipate those gases which, in too concentrated a 
state, are destructive to vegetable life; and once a week 
may suffice for the turning. We may here inquire 
| whether it is expedient to use dung alone. Nothing 
that wo could ever discover is comparable to dung and 
oak leaves, in equal parts, or if not oak, any other leaves 
available. 
Of course, this advice applies to the very early dung- 
bed; those made later may have their amount of leaves 
much increased. It is very necessary in the earlier 
beds—and, indeed, in all beds—that they retain their 
warmth for a very long period; we may as well say at 
once that its fermentative character should never entirely 
cease whilst the occupants continue producing. We 
have little doubt that many of the ills that are fatal to 
the cucumber, melon, and other forced vegetables and 
fruits, are attributable to an improper declining of 
bottom-warmth—the forcer’s grand requirement. If our 
districts, noted for the production, out-doors, of cucum¬ 
bers, very early potatoes, &c., be examined, it will bo 
found that their envied success depends on local circum¬ 
stances pre-existent and independent of the means takeii 
to produce the respective crops. Peculiarity of mecha¬ 
nical texture in the soil, a dry bottom, an inclination to 
the sun, the shelter of distant high grounds, and, per¬ 
haps, we may add, in many cases, a somewhat dark- 
coloured soil absorbing a considerable amount of the 
solar rays—in other words, a soil at once fertile, accu¬ 
mulative, and retentive of the sun’s warmth, with an 
immunity from cutting winds. All this, although some¬ 
what digressive, is at least illustrative, and will serve to 
draw attention to the utility of bottom-heats, not fierce, 
but permanent. 
Next let us consider ventilation. Somehow the word 
ventilate amongst some of the gardening craft has 
attained such an indefiniteness, that, like some acts of 
parliament we have been told of, a man may drive a 
coach and six through them. “ Give air,” says one; 
“Let out heat,” says a second; “Let the moisture 
escape,” says a third ; and a fourth wiser, as we think, 
than all the foregoing “ sound practitioners,” whispers, 
“ Promote a constant, although quiet, motion in your 
confined atmosphere, inasmuch as the object is not to 
cultivate obscure ferns, fungi, and other Cryptogamous 
tilings, but really useful fruits and vegetables; let, there¬ 
fore, stagnation of air be the exception, by no means 
the rule.” But the novice will say, How am I to “ give 
air” with such a wind—such a frost? Certainly, with an 
outside thermometer of ten to twenty degrees of frost, 
or a cutting north-easter, or, what is as bad, one duo 
north, this “ motion in the air” need not be attempted. 
But our opinion is, that motion, circulation, call it what | 
you will, may be maintained day and night for at least 
two-thirds of the forcing seasou. 
And now it will be seen why so much fuss was made 
in the commencement of this letter about good linings. 
Let no novitiate suppose that by making powerful beds 
he will thus be enabled to compete with severe cold. 
No, strange to say, if excess is practised in this part of 
the business, the odds are that burning takes place ; 
“ there is a traitor within the camp.” Here, a little 
infirmity attaches to the old “dung-bed,” it is often 
guilty of extremes, and liable to vicissitudes. 
As parting advice, then, we say, so discreetly manage 
your dung-working as to dissipate the noxious gases, 
yet retain a strong fibre in the fermenting mass; one, 
in fact, capable of speedily sympathising for months with 
the “linings.” These things done, and the former j 
advices carried out, try and persuade your cucumbers | 
and melons to fancy themselves out-ol-doors in their ; 
own clime, and they will by no means be offended. We | 
did intend to have added a few remarks on some*points j 
of subsequent culture; and amongst the rest about the 
application of sulphur, about which we have received, it 
seems, a kindly hint and challenge from our very 
scientific and clever helpmate, Mr. Fish. This, however, 
must stand over, as nothing imminent pertains to delay 
in this respect. R. Ereington. 
