118 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Novembee 27, 18C0. 
inn\ Care in taking up and setting in tlio bed is all that is 
wanted ; and if severe weather set in, let the bed be protected at 
nDht by some covering or other, and even in the daytime until 
the heads appear above ground it may remain in darkness. 
Nothing comes sooner into use on being forced than Asparagus, 
but the plants are useless afterwards. Those, therefore, that force 
a quantity each year, sow and prepare for it; but the inex¬ 
perienced in such matters wdio have any worn-out old beds, may 
take them up and force them instead of throwing them away, and 
a very good return will be the result. Asparagus may also 
be forced in the ground it grows on ; but the process is more 
slow and attended with a good deal of labour and is seldom 
done, as preparing a quantity of beds each year and letting them 
bear one or two crops in the ordinary season and then taking 
them up to force, is so much the most economical plan, that i 
is generally followed. Directions for making new Asparagus- 
beds having been given in former numbers of The Cottag-e 
Gaedeneb, they need not be repeated here. 
Sea-kale. —Many of "the properties of the last-named plant 
belong to this, the growth the preceding season determining in 
a great measure the quality of the shoots of next growth : there¬ 
fore, only well-grown plants ought to be forced, especially for 
the first crop. This plant, however, differs from Asparagus in 
its adaptation for being forced in the ground where it grows. Pot s 
of the kind prepared on purpose being placed over each head or 
crown, the space between them and over them is then filled in 
with some gentle-heating material. If dung, it ought not by 
any means to be rank, as too much heat is fatal to it at this early 
period of the season. Leaves are bettor ; but if hot dung must 
be used, let the quantity be limited so as to merely warm the 
ground at first, and not to create a hot, unpleasant steam inside 
the pots covering the crown of the plants. But as there is 
always some difficulty with the first crop, it is often better to 
take up a few roots and plant them in deep boxes or some other 
suitable place where there is a little heat, and cover them closely 
up by another box inverted over them, or by some other con¬ 
trivance to prevent the light having access to them, and in this way 
they will start, grow, and furnish heads sooner than if forced in the 
ground. The only draw back of this plan is, that it sacrifices the 
plants. This, however, may be remedied in the same way as is 
recommended for Asparagus—by sowing a portion each year. But 
it is only the first crop that I would advise to be taken up and 
forced in this way ; the after ones may be covered with leaves, or 
dung, or any other heating material, and forced on the spot. 
Of course, when fermenting materials for that purpose are not to 
be had, taking up and stowing away in some dark corner must 
be resorted to. Yery often there is some snug corner near the 
fireplace heating the glass structures : in this the boxes of Sea-kale 
may be placed, taking care, however, that they have the necessary 
amount of moisture—not at the root only, hut also at the top, 
and with the latter perfect darkness also. A very good plan to 
insure this, when the plants are subjected to a dry heat, is to 
cover them up for at least six or eight inches with moss that has 
been chopped a little, and also that all insect life has been 
destroyed in by pouring hot water over it with a little salt added. 
This moss when cool may bo laid over the boxes, and a mat 
thrown over that, and, being damped occasionally, tlie heads of 
Sea-kale will force their way through. An air-tight box inverted 
would answer the same purpose; but when the air is very drying 
it will find its way into such places, and the crispness of the 
vegetable is much impaired, as it is the confinement from all 
atmospheric influences that causes the blanching so necessary in 
Sea-kale. 
Rhubarb. —Like Sea-kale, this, too, may either be forced in 
the ground where it grows, or it may be taken up and removed to 
some warm place. Perpetual darkness, so essential to the well 
blanching of the shoots of Sea-kale, is, however, not so necessary 
here—in fact, Rhubarb is better flavoured when allowed a little 
light, and when the atmosphere is not too much charged with 
moisture arising from the fermenting materials used in its forcing. 
It, however, requires more room. The root itself is a very bulky 
affair when taken *up with a ball to it, and the stalks when well 
grown are upwards of two feet long; but as it is a deep-rooted ! 
plant, heated dung rarely penetrates low enough to start it satis¬ 
factorily into growth in December. It is, therefore, better to 
take up a few plants, and place them in some warm corner where 
they may have a little light: these will do for the first crop. 
I he second and after crops may be had from plants in the ground 
covered up as directed for Sea-kale, only the covering up must be 
done much longer beiorc the stalks are wanted than is necessary 
for Sea-kale. Rhubarb is much slower in starting; but when 
it once begins to grow it yields its produce very fast. The best 
plants to take up and force are young ones with only one or two 
crowns each; large old plants with a hall and roots large enough 
to half fill a cart are not so easily excited into growth. Any of 
the early varieties will do ; and as there is much difference of 
opinion of their respective merits, it is only necessary here to say 
that Myatt’s Yictoria (not by any means the earliest kind for 
out-door purposes), forces very well, and produces abundance of 
good stalks. But the old Scarlet is the general favourite for this 
purpose ; the stalks, though smaller than the Yictoria, are a fine 
red colour and are more attractive. But most kinds will force 
well, the only conditions being the same as those given for Sea- 
kale—not to start too fast at first, hut after growth has com¬ 
menced heat may be increased; but this is seldom necessary, as 
Rhubarb grows very fast when it once begins. 
Potatoes. —There are many ways of obtaining young Potatoes ; 
hut perhaps the easiest way is to plant them in any spare box- 
frames that may not be in use, and place over them heap of leaves 
that might be stored away in some sunny corner; or, if some 
rough skeleton frame was made by rough poles inserted in the 
ground a few inches apart, and a rail with a straight edge 
fastened along their tops both at back and front, the latter some¬ 
what lower than the other, so as to form a sort of pit about six 
feet wide and three or more deep, it might be nearly filled with 
leaves, and the Potatoes planted in the mould put on the top. 
Any description of covering that would exclude frost would do 
until the plants were up ; after which they would want a little 
daylight more or less, which could not well be given them without 
glass. But there are many makeshifts this way, and the Potato 
will endure a good deal of hard usage but no frost: the latter 
must, therefore, be carefully guarded against by secure coverings 
of straw or anything that may be handy. Cold rains must also 
be excluded; and, whatever the covering may be, do not let it 
rest on the ground the Potatoes are growing in. If they be in 
one of the rustic pits above alluded to, something in the shape of 
rafters may be placed to take the bearings. The best kind of 
Potato for winter work is the earliest of the round kinds, each 
district having its own favourite one. Kidneys, though more 
admired at table, do not come in so early. Therefore, if you 
have a good, short-topped, round variety that is very early 
and prolific, this is the Potato to force, plant in drills about 
eighteen inches apart, and from eight to ten inches apart in the 
row; or they may be closer, as the luxury of a new Potato is too 
great to stint the quantity of tuber required to plant. More 
particulars will he given hereafter.—J. Robson. 
EXPOSING FORCED YINES WITH LEAVES 
ON—SOWING GAZANIA SPLENDENS. 
“ A Cobeespondent ” wishes to know whether Yines may be 
taken outside the vinery before the leaves are all fallen; and if 
Gazania splendens will grow from seed. 
[You may expose in summer or early autumn your forced 
Yines if the wood is brown and hard, but not in tlie case of a 
late vinery. But why take them out at all ? It is an old 
mistake. 
Sow the seeds of the Gazania. Y r ou may have several varieties, 
but we could not say yet whether you w T ould get splendens true 
as seedlings—most likely not. You must trust to cuttings for a 
bed of G. splendens.] 
PORTABLE LEAN-TO ORCHARD-HOUSE. 
Aee there any means of erecting a cheap 'portable forcing 
orchard-house, so that on my removing to other premises I might 
not be obliged to leave it for the benefit of my landlord ? I 
propose erecting a lean-to one, 30 feet by 12 feet, after Mr. 
Rivers’ plan; but all the descriptions for budding orchard-houses 
in his admirable little work “The Orchard-House,” are for 
fixtures, which are of no use to persons like myself, who are only 
temporary holders of premises. 
I have in my garden a number of Peach and Nectarine trees, 
planted by a former occupier against a wall, which appear to be 
about five or six years old. They bore tolerably well this year, 
but are too luxuriant in their growth. Are they too old to 
remove and root-prune after Mr. Rivers’ fashion?—A Tybo. 
[It is a misnomer to call your structure “ an orchard-house 
