The forcing garden, or, How to grow early fruits, flowers and vegetables: with plans and estimates showing the best and most economical way of building glass-houses, pits and frames for the various classes

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FORCING GARDEN

PRINTED BY _ vos
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LONDON

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THH FORCING GARDEN

HOW TO GROW EARLY FRUITS, FLOWERS,
AND VEGETABLES :

WITH PLANS AND ESTIMATES SHOWING THE BEST AND MOST
ECONOMICAL WAY OF BUILDING GLASS-HOUSES, PITS,
AND FRAMES FOR THE VARIOUS CLASSES :

CONTAINING ALSO

ORIGINAL PLANS FOR DOUBLE GLAZING
ON THE VERTICAL BAR WITHOUT PUTTY: A NEW
METHOD OF GROWING THE GOOSEBERRY UNDER GLASS;
THE OPEN WALL-PEACH PROTECTOR, THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY
AND CHRISTMAS ROSE PIT COMBINED; WITH NUMEROUS
ORIGINAL CONTRIVANCES FOR VENTILATION,
AND FOR PROTECTING VINE BORDERS.

G@ith Allustrations.

By SAMUEL WOOD,

eg
AUTHOR OF ‘GOOD GARDENING, ‘MULTUM-IN-PARVO GARDENING,’
“THE TREE PLANTER, ‘THE TREE PRUNER,’ ETC.

Second Cvition, ABRARY
NEW YORE

SOTANICAL
CARDED.

LONDON:
CROSBY LOCKWOOD AND SON,

7 STATIONERS’-HALL COURT, LUDGATE HILL.
1898.

[Alb rights reserved.)

PREFACH.

enn ate seed

SEVERAL cogent reasons might be adduced for writing
the present work, the chief being a deep conviction
that something of the kind was really needed, to show
the best and most economical way of constructing
glass-houses, pits, &c., and the most desirable angle on
which to pitch the roofs of them, according to the
particular class of plants to be grown; as well as the
best aspect in which to place such houses. It will be
observed that all my angles for fruit-growing are at a
very sharp pitch. Thisis, I think, most desirable for the
production not only of fine fruit but also for the kind
of wood that will ensure a good crop of fruit, especially
in the case of Peaches, Plums, and Grapes.

I am fully convinced of the necessity of a work like
this for nearly all classes who require sound informa-
tion both for building glass-houses and for their sub-
sequent adaptation. My method of double-glazing will,
I think, meet a want long felt, and no doubt will be
generally adopted for early forcing; my vine border-
protector will also doubtless supersede the usual method

vi PREFACE.

of planting vines inside houses, being more accessible
for manuring the roots of them, and what is more im-
portant, the roots can get the full benefit of the sun
and air, and this is no doubt very necessary in all fruit-
growing, especially with stone fruit and Grapes; for
Grape-growing, moisture combined with sun-heat is
most essential.

I have studied for a long time the functionary con-
struction and the active properties of plants, especially ;
the vine, and I think I may say that I have found that
warmth combined with moisture at the roots are the
necessary conditions for well-coloured and fine fruit,
an abundance of oxygen among the branches being
likewise necessary for a good crop of fruit for the
coming year. On these principles I have established
my sharp angles and vine border-protector. }

I believe it will be found that ‘ The Asparagus Pit,’
‘The Lily of the Valley and Christmas Rose Pit,’ ‘ The
Gooseberry House, ‘The Potato House,’ ‘The Pea
Frame,’ and ‘ The Wall Peach Screens,’ will recommend
themselves, and be regarded as something new, and of
some importance in their various capacities. The
method of getting large onions, and in greater numbers
will doubtless be a novelty with many persons.

My method of glazing with ‘ clips,’ will be found
equal if not superior to most others; and the plans,
and careful estimates attached to the various arrange-
ments for building, glazing, and heating, will I hope
meet the wants of the horticultural enquirer.

USRARY

NEW YORE
OT ANICAL

ARDR.

es aoe aeeeennee
PART ¥.
CULTIVATION Of THE VINE.

CHAPTER I. PAGE

| Forcing the Vine . F Sian

THE GRAPEHOUSE. page | _hinning out the Berries :

The Bark walls : ; - i bet of Liquid Manure . 29

Glazing without putty . . 13 a eee - 29

CHAPTER II. CHAPTER III.

Poleriue Winns. GrowinG GrRaPEs IN Pors.
Preparation of the Border . 17 | Varieties of the Vine best suited
Winter Pruning the Vine . 22 for Pots. . 94
Summer Pruning the Vine . 25 | The Marketing of Grapes . 35

PART If.

ORCHARD HOUSES AND GLASS HOUSES.

CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II.
eq Tue Cueapest Way To Bump. THe Prantinc AND MANAGEMENT

= oF PracHes, Piums, ETc.
e Peach and Grapehouse

combined . . 40 | The Peach house . ; . 45
The Open-wall Peach Protector 41 | The Plum house. a 7)

A238 oo

Vili CONTENTS.

PAGE CHAPTER VIII.
The Cherry house . , . 52 PAGE
The Gooseberry house . . 57 | Toe Pink anp Carnation
The Gooseberry in Pots . - et FoRcING HOUSE . : » 11)
CHAPTER III. CHAPTER IX.
CucUMBERS AND MELONS. THE GERANIUM HOUSE . - t20
Tbe Cucumber house : . 64
The Melon house . Sa ikes CHAPTER X.-
The Melon in pits and frames. 77 | Tue GEsNERACEOUS HOUSE . 126
The Tank for Cucumbers and
Melons r, > . = 80 CHAPTER a
CHAPTER IV Tur CALCEOLARIA AND CINER-
s P ARIA HOUSE : ; , 332
Tue Lity-oF-THE-VALLEY PIr.
The Cost of pa a the CHAPTER XI.
Bee : 89 | Tue Genera Prant Forcine
HOUSE . s : ; . 1s
CHAPTER V.
Tur Rosz Forcinc HovsE . 91 CHAPTER XIII.
THe BALsAM HOUSE i . 146
CHAPTER VI.
Tur CAMELLIA HOUSE . . 99 CHAPTER XIV.
THe HEATH HOUSE AND CoN-
CHAPTER VII. SERVATORY . : , . 150
THe FERN HOUSE . ; . 105 | The Conservatory . : . 164
PART III.

THE EARLY FORCING OF VEGETABLES.

CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER IV.
ForcinGc THE Potato . - 156
CHAPTER IL On Forcing BROT i SEA-KALE,
Forcinc PEA FRAMES. ; a'61
Asparagus. ° ; - 170
CHAPTER III. Sea-Kale . J ; i ge

h b ‘ : : - 174
Earty RapDIsHES . ; . 166 cee he

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V.

ON FORCING THE CARROT AND
Frencu Beans.

CHAPTER VII.

|
|

PAGE ONIONS
The Carrot : Pay fF
Dwarf French Beans . 178
CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER VIII.
On Forcine THE MusHroom . 181 ON WarTerRiInG Puants, ETC,
PART: FV.

PAGE

How To Get EARLY AND LARGE
. 190

. 194

MONTHLY CALENDAR FOR THE FORCING GARDEN,

January . woe
February - 202]
March . 206
April . 209
May : ra |
June. ° . . . 2138

ej uly

August .

September

October .

November

December ‘ . =

- 213
. 214
. 215
. 216
. 218
e 219

THE

FORCING GARDEN.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

As a rule our natural fruits come at a time when they
are not very much wanted. In hot countries they ripen
in time to meet the real wants of the inhabitants ; but
in a country like England most fruits, or at least the
bulk of them, ripen late, when the heat of the summer
is over. To meet this state of things much has‘ been
done of late years in the way of growing them under
glass, and a great deal of this desirable manner of culti-
vating them is due to that popular and successful fruit-
tree grower, the late Mr. Rivers, who has written so
much on the subject.

There are, popularly speaking, three modes of grow-
ing fruits—viz. the original one, consisting of open-air
culture; the second is by means of the cold orchard
house ; and the third by subjecting the trees to artificial
heat, that is, applying heat by means of hot water, flues,
or stoves; and at the present time even gas stoves are
recommended, but this last method will I fear prove not

B
\\

2 THE FORCING GARDEN.

only dangerous, but in some instances fatal. Why so?
some will ask. The answer is, because if at any time a
leakage as small even as a pin’s head should occur either
in the pipes or the stove, enough gas will escape to
destroy every plant in the house. Gas stoves for plant
houses are therefore very objectionable.

For economy, I know of no better system for amateurs
and for plant work generally, than what is called the
air-drain plan. The next best method is by means of
hot-water pipes. The former is not adapted to fruit-
forcing on a large scale, nor even for plant growing
beyond forty feet in length ; but for a house thirty feet
long I believe it to be the most economical plan of all.
However, for fruit forcing there is nothing so good as hot-
water pipes; and to be really successful in forcing at all,
whether with flowers or fruits, the grand point is to
adapt the house to the subject, and not to make the
subject subservient to the house: this is where so many
persons fail.

It frequently happens that a man who has more
money than experience in either fruit or plant growing
(especially forcing), puts up a house or two for a certain
purpose, say grape growing or the cultivation of the
peach, which are no more adapted for such a purpose than
a cow is likely tocateha hare. I always consider that the
adaptation of the house to the object in view is almost,
or I might say quite, an essential thing to ensure success.
Common hot-house builders are generally the architects
of these structures, men who know nothing whatever
about eyen ordinary plant growing, much less about
forcing of any kind: this is why we see such perverse
kinds of glass structures with which a good gardener is
often disgusted. I have scen whole sets of houses of

BUILDING HOT-HOUSES, 3

this kind. A good gardener should be the architect of
all glass and plant houses. Then the next thing is the
aspect of them and the angle of the roof, and finally the
best means of heating the particular kinds of houses so
as to suit the respective subjects.

B22

PART I.

CULTIVATION OF THE VINE.

CHAPTER I,

THE GRAPE HOUSE.

THE situation and pitch of the roof, especially the
pitch, have a deal to do with success in the cultivation
of the vine. If the ground is flat, a sharper pitch in
the angle for the roof is necessary than is required for
a steep incline in the surface, on account of the dead-
ness of the surrounding vapour on a flat above that
of an incline. A flat roof, or at least a roof with an
angle of less than 45°, is not good for grape growing.
Generally roofs are much less than that ; but this angle
and above that, are much the best for this purpose.
Some persons will object to this sharp pitch for
forcing purposes, on account of the more rapid ascen-
sion of the heat to the higher part of the roof; but if
sufficient heat is generated at the lower part so as to
keep up a good temperature according to what is re-
quired for the circulation, one that will keep the house
healthy and produce fine coloured fruit will be ensured.

GRAPE COLOURING. a

It is the maintenance of a brisk circulation of heated
air which colours grapes, and not the generally supposed
high degree of heat without much circulation. If
anyone wants proof of this, let him go to Texas, a
country abounding with wild grapes, where they grow
in vast quantities on the forest trees, the vines climb-
ing about and over the tall pines. The temperature

he
a ES

pee rat

S$ WH

Fic. 1.—SECTION OF A SIXTY-FEET EARLY VINERY, FOURTEEN FEET HIGH AT THE
BACK, TWO FEET HIGH IN FRONT, TWELVE FEET WIDE; TO BE DOUBLE-GLAZED
WITHOUT PUTTY, WITH TWENTY-ONE-OUNCE GLASS, TWENTY BY EIGHTEEN.

Reference to plan.—a a a, sliding ventilators, worked by wires, and cords, and
pulleys, BB. (See enlarged section of these ventilators, Fic. 2.) ccccccce,
two by one foot sliding shutters in front wall to work the same as the top venti-
lators. (See Fic. 3.) DD, flap shutter hinged on wall plate, to open by cords,
for the admission of air to the house through the openings, ‘c.’ This flap
shutter is on the vine-border protector, ‘m’‘ 5.’ This house is at an angle of 45°.
THE BORDER PROTECTOR, EE, may be glazed with clips, which offer every facility
for taking out the glass in May by merely loosening them, so as to lift the glass
out, and leaving the clips there for reglazing in the autumn, which is quickly
done. Taking the glass out in May admits of the border getting the benefit of
the summer air and rains. The border protector may be made into sashes, which
can e drawn off occasionally to allow of the rains falling on the borders, water-
ing, &c.

there averages for months 90°, but the vines are sur-
rounded with air, and although the heat is during the
day often as much as 110°, the nights are very cool.
These grapes are as black as jet. Here then is the
secret of grape colouring—a heated circulation of pure
air. This is what we want in our vineries, instead of

6 THE FORCING GARDEN.

which they are heated to a good growing temperature
The grapes swell, but do not often colour well, especi-
ally the very early ones, and the reason is given
above.

Fic, 2.—SECTION OF TOP VENTILATORS, TWO FEET SQUARE.

Reference to ventilators.—aaaa, openings in back wall of house close under wall
plate at the top; BBBB, shutter and sliding venti:ators ; cc, the runs in which
the ventilators slide, by means of connecting wires, DDD; and the cords and
pulleys, EEEE; ff, stops. The runs must be fixed on the wall with stout hooks,
aud the pulleys fixed firmly on the wall. All these shutters can be opened and
shut at once the whole length of the house.

It is difficult ordinarily to get air enough into
very early graperies so as to colour the fruit. Houses
for the early forcing of vines are not constructed for the
safe admission of air in a sufficient quantity to colour

Fid. 3.—SECTION OF FRONT AIR SLIDING SHUTTERS FOR AN EARLY FORCING HOUSE
AND VINERY,

Reference.—a aaa, openings, one foot square, in front wall, as shown in sectional
plan of vinery (fig. 4), at ‘B.’ These optnings may be four feet apart, or less.
BBEBBBB, sliding shutters, opened and shut all at once by the cords and
pulleys, cc. As these shutters are fixed so low, the cords work upwards instead of
pulling downwards, as in the case of the ventilators at the top of the house. They
may be outside.

the fruit well. The roofs are too flat for a brisk cir-
culation, when it can be admitted, which is not often.
It will be seen in fig. 4 what my plan is for meeting

THE GRAPE HOUSE. 7

the case. This house is on a scale of one-sixteenth of
an inch to a foot, and at an angle of 45°.

These bottom openings in the front wall can be
safely left open almost constantly durirg the ripening
of the grapes in cases of early forcing, for no chilly air
can come to the tender growth of the vine. The air
coming in direct contact with the hot pipes gets
warmed, made lighter, and quickened. The heat of
the pipes gives vitality to the air which is admitted ;
it ascends with rapidity to the frait and branches,

Fic, 4.—END SECTION.

Scale 3,th inch to 1 foot.

and, there being a constant and fresh supply from the
outside, it is well supplied with colouring matter,
oxygen, which must be admitted or the grapes cannot
possibly colour. The more of this you can safely admit
combined with heat, the deeper will be the colour of
the fruit, and the sweeter also. F, pit, 5 feet wide, the
whole length of the house, to be filled with some
fermenting material, such as leaves, stable manure, «&c.,
to cause a damp and warm heat, which will materially
facilitate the development of the vines and the fruit, in
its first stage. § (fig. 4), root protection lights over the
border, to be used through the winter and cold spring

8 THE FORCING GARDEN.

months: these are most essential in early forcing.
I propose that the bars for this root protection for
vine borders should. be fixed from the front wall 20
inches apart, and then glazed on my own plan without
side laps or putty. (See illustration.)

As soon as the month of May comes, take the glass
off and put it into boxes till it is wanted again, when
the border will be open to all the genial influences of
the sun, as well as the refreshing rains of the summer
months. It is but a few hours’ work for any good
ordinary man to unglaze the whole of these border
protectors, and to reglaze them, the ‘clips’ being
already there.

For those who prefer them, shifting sashes may be
used, which may be made to slide, as in the case of
ordinary frame sashes, but these will cost double the
expense of making. Air can be admitted by having a
flap shutter one foot wide all along the eaves of the
roof of the vinery, being made to open and shut by
cords from the inside, above the pipes. If the border
glass is arranged on my plan, this will be found to be
the best, there being no lattice-like cross-bars, no side
laps, nor so much glass as in all the other patent plans
of glazing.

The ventilators in the wall, fig. 2, will, I have no
doubt, be found the cheapest to construct, and the
most convenient to work, as they can all be opened
and shut at once, and that by a boy. A frame should
be constructed so as to fix inside each opening in the
wall and made to come beyond the brickwork a little,
just enough to form a facing for the shutter, so that
each one will fit sufficiently close to exclude the air
and to prevent the escape of heat. The sliding shut-

THE GRAPE HOUSE. 9

ter in the back cannot be made to shut close enough
for early forcing on the bare brickwork or plaster
unless the plaster of the wall is very fine, and the wall
perfectly flat, so that they can fit as close as the lid of
a box. This is quite necessary for early forcing.

The cost of this vinery is not so much as might be
supposed. I can construct a house like this at less
than thirty per cent. of the usual cost of single glazing
with putty, taking everything into account. There is
the saving in bricks by constructing hollow walls,
fixed rafters, glazing without putty, and further eco-
nomy by the adoption of my ventilators, and by the
use of a cheap and improved heating apparatus.

Of course the house should not be built upon high
and exposed ground where cold and cutting winds from
the east or the west can play upon it unchecked. It
should be situated on either low ground, or that of
a medium level. If on a low level, good and thorough
drainage must be secured both for the house and for
the vines, so that no stagnant vapour shall be there to
engender mildew. If, however, it must be built upon
a level above the mediurn, choice should be made of a
full southern aspect, and sheltered on the east and
west sides by distant trees, but not nearer to the
vinery than from 80 to 100 feet. In the western coun-
ties of England I find that the westerly winds do more
harm to the foliage of various trees and shrubs during
the summer and early autumn than the east winds;
and even a vinery on a high and exposed place open to
some of these fierce westerly winds would no doubt
feel the bad effects more or less. But in the more
easterly and northern counties, almost every early
plant and plant-house and forcing house feels the spring

19 THE FORCING GARDEN.

winds from the east, so that these two points require
to be guarded against in the case of early vineries.

THE BACK WALLS.

Should there be no wall suitable for the construc-
tion of an early vinery, one must be built for a lean-to
house; for one of these at a good sharp pitch is far

Tria. 5.—TWELVE BY SIX FEET SECTION OF CAVITY WALL, NINE INCHES THICK.
THE BRICKS ARE BUILT UP ON THE SIDES, AND NOT LAID FLAT, AS IS USUAL
WITH COMMON BRICKWORK.

A wall on this plan of building, sixty feet long,
twelve feet high, and nine inches thick, will

cost for the bricks, at 1/. 10s., carriage included 8 0 0
Labour (one week for mason). é = : sD 8
Man (one week) . “ : - - : o 0 15, 0
Lime and sand. . 0% 0

£10 12 0

superior for an early house than a span orhalf span. I
feel convinced of this, for be it remembered that when
the house contains a good, dry back wall, and the roof
of it is lying well towards the early spring sun, the
wall absorbs so much of the rays that it will materially

THE GRAPE HOUSE. ll

augment the heat of the interior of the house, and,
being of uncoloured brick, it will continue to give out

Fie. 6.—BOILER AND SECTION OF PIPES FOR EARLY VINERY.

Reference.—a a, flow pipes; BBBB, return pipes. All the pipes should be six-inch.
The cost of this apparatus may be estimated at—

£s. d.
For the boiler >. & OO
Two hundred and forty feet, ‘g six-inch pipe, at
2s. 3d. per foot . : : 2618 0
Two syphon bends - - = - eo ko, 0
Four elbows . - en OG Sha
As many indiarubber rings wanted as there are
joints ; a cistern, and bricks, and the setting,
which may be computed atabout.. . ie oa S
£4118 0

heat for hours after sunset. When however there is
no such wall a great deal is lost in this respect.

12 THE FORCING GARDEN.

No early vinery should contain too much glass.
When I say ‘too much,’ I mean that there should be
none on the cold sides. There is nothing like a good
dry brick wall for the back of an early vinery, with but
little or no glass at the ends. A house constructed on
my plan, i.e. at the angle above named, will be abund-
antly light enough without any more glass than what
the roof contains, and will be better adapted for main-
taining the necessary heat at a less cost. 3

In constructing a back wall, it will be a great ad-
vantage in every way to build it according to my
method, that is, hollow. A wall constructed on this plan,
60 feet long, 12 feet high, and 9 inches thick, will
take about 5,360 bricks; while one of the same dimen-
sions built with solid work, as is usually done, will take
7,930 or thereabouts. Here then is a difference of
2,570 bricks in the first place, and then there isa
saving of at least 1/. in mason’s and mason’s labourer s
wages and mortar. Nor is this all, for a wall so con-
structed is much drier, and therefore of necessity much
warmer; the wall is full of chambers of heated air,
which continue to give out their contents by night into
the house, which is an immense advantage in early
work, as by this means a better result is obtained than
by a fire-heated flue. In virtue of such a wall, tke
angle of roof, and the construction of an apparatus
like that shown in fig. 6, I may challenge all others,
that is, supposing the roof to be double-glazed on my
plan, and having the ‘ border protector.’

GLAZING GRAPE HOUSES. 13

THE CHEAPEST AND BEST METHOD OF GLAZING GRAPE
HOUSES ETC. WITHOUT PUTTY.

Figs. 7, 8,9. There is no doubt that this plan
uf glazing all houses is the best both for cheapness

Fic. 7.—SECTIONAL VIEW OF MY PATENT COMPRESS CLIP AND SCREW
DOUBLE GLAZING.

Reference.— aaa, rafter; BBB, bed for top squares; ccc, half-inch ‘standard
rebate,’ and three-eighths of an inch wide. for a butt for glass, to make the top
glazing wind- and water-tight ; DDD, grooves to take offany wet that may get in
at the top; EE, the metal clip and screws; f//, the metal clip for under layer of
glass, fastened on the rebate with two small tacks. The screws need not be more
than five-eighths of an inch long, clear from the head, which should be rounded
at the top, and broad and flat underneath. They may be of galvanised iron or
brass ; and when at any time asquare has to be replaced, a small screw-driver
will draw the screw, ‘G,’ a little, so as to release the glass, when it can be removed
without lifting the clip off, and the new square of glass slipped in, the clip being
gently screwed down again; all of which can be done within five minutes, This
method is perfectly immovable as regards wind, and quite air-tight-

14 THE FORCING GARDEN.

of construction and economy, as well as for effect. The
top layer of glass may be employed for single work,

Fic. 8.—SECTIONAL VIEW OF METAL CLIP AND SCREW GLAZING WITHOUT PUTTY
WITHOUT OUTSIDE REBATE.

THE UNDER CLIP, MADE OF ZINC,

SECTION OF THE BAR.

Reference.—aaa, the rafter; BBB, the top clips and screw; ccc, the clips for
under squares, nailed on the rebate, ‘D;’ EE, the groove in top of rafter to take
any water; ff. the glass with the corner cut off, exactly as is shown at GG; and
marked on the clip at ‘h,’ to admit of the screw, i. These cut corners come
underneath the lap, k, except a piece to admit of the screw, and that is covered

by the lower end of the clip, L.

DOUBLE GLAZING. 15

and the under layer added for double glazing. All the
difference in expense lies merely in the cost of the
glass, which is a trifle compared with the use of two
layers instead of one in early forcing.

All good gardeners will doubtless see the advan-
tages attached to the plan of double glazing, and I have

Fig. 9.—SECTIONAL VIEW OF DOUBLE GLAZING, WITH SPRING BRASS CLI
AND SCREW.

As in fig. No. 7, but with rebate, letter a, rising one and a half eighth of an inch,

' or the thickness of double glass, so that the edges can butt up to it, thus render-
ing the glazing perfectly air-tight. The standards, aaa, need not be more than
one-quarter of an inch wide, the screws, B, going through it. The under layer of
glass is held in position by the thin metal clips, as in the illustration 2,

no doubt that, if this is done without putty, or any
other material that will prevent the water from con-
densing into vapour, it will be seen at a glance that
this method while perfectly air-tight is not retentive of
water in the roof of the house, which when frosts occur
materially lowers the temperature of the place. This
is especially the case in single glazing, where extra fires
must be kept up to keep out the frost. It is not
necessary for me to say here that frost has a material

16 THE FORCING GARDEN.

and additional influence upon everything exposed to
it, when wet or damp more than when it is dry. The
practical man will know at once how to appreciate the
double glazing above the single, on account of the
under glazing being preserved dry, which no single
method can do.

Single glazing may be employed for all cool
orchard houses, vineries, cool plant houses, &c.; but
I recommend all forcing houses and tender exotic
plant houses to be double-glazed on one of the plans
illustrated and described in this work.

CHAPTER II.

PLANTING VINES. PREPARATION OF THE BORDER.

It is very necessary to make a good preparation before
planting vines in the first instance; but the way it
is to be done is a matter on which great diversity of
opinion exists. I have known many vines ruined by
packing strong stimulants upon their roots. It is
quite a mistake to plant young vines, in the first in-
stance, in undecomposed animal matter. It is another
mistake, too, merely to make a vine border of only
about six or eight feet in width and then to confine the
roots to that limited space, composed, it may be, of very
fatty matter, burying it five or six feet deep. Let any
man examine the roots of vines so treated and he will
find that they are mere fibreless channels except at
the extremities, which possess a few spongioles of a
healthy nature simply because they have saved them-
selves from the surcharge of the acid compounds and
were buried so deep that some purifying influences
could reach them and render them sufficiently nutritious
for the real benefit of the vines. On examination of
the roots of vines of five or more years so situated, it
will be seen that the young fibrous roots—the life of the
whole plant, and on which are found the spongioles or
feeders—have made their way to those parts of the bed
where less of the superabounding fatty matter is to
C

18 THE FORCING GARDEN.

be found, such parts being of a more intermediate con-
dition, and where the sun and air exert their influence.

It will be found on examination that the roots of a
vine planted inside a house where the bed of the house
is made of the best material from the front to the
back, if the vines are planted at the front the roots will
crowd and cling to the front wall, and creep along the
wall in search of a way out—and out they will get if
possible. And why? Because they love the sun and
free air. Now go outside and carefully search the sur-
face of the ground an inch or two deep, and if the vines
have been planted, say, five, seven, or ten years, you
will find the fibrous roots twenty or thirty feet from
the main stem, a little under the surface; and if there
should by any means be a common sewer, foul ditch,
pool, or anything of that sort near, it will be found that
the spongioles have dipped their mouths only, into the
contents just at the edges, unless they are half dry, or
nearly so, then they may be further advanced ; but, as
a rule, it will be observed that no really sound roots of
a hard and durable kind can exist in a deep mass of
rich fatty matter where no sun, heat, or oxidising air
can get to them.

Moisture is absolutely necessary for the well-being
of the vine; but to surcharge the tender fibre with it
will ultimately be its death. Besides, the mischief
will show itself in various forms—such as mildew,
shanking of the berries, and, finally, general weakness.
I have lately had to do with some fine vines, twenty or
more years old, which are planted on a hill facing the
south. The soil is naturally poor, with a narrow vine-
border of about six feet or so wide. They are planted
outside, and next to the border comes a broad carriage

PLANTING VINES. . 19

road, and beyond that nothing but a poor, half-kept
grass lawn fifty or sixty feet wide; yet more healthy
ani vigorous vines, bearing as fine fruit as can be
wished for, cannot be found. They are free from mil-
dew or any kind of disease, notwithstanding a most
unfavourable season. I attribute all this, not to a richly
prepared border, but to the influence of the sun upon the
roots lying under the gravel road immediately in front
of the vinery, thus preserving a healthy and sound
fibre ; and it is impossible to come to any other con-
clusion.

Now I think it will be evident that what is wanted
before planting vines, is a good preparation on a broad
scale. From my own experience I do not find a deep
and superabundantly rich fatty matter confined to a
limited space answer best; but that the ground for an
unlimited space should be made good by manuring it
well with cow-dung (not horse-dung, for that will
generate fungi of various kinds according to what the
natural soil is composed of), a good proportion of it, with
some bones broken up and well mixed with the soil
for a foot deep. This should cover a space well ex-
posed to the sun; and this space, be it what it may,
should not be shaded by trees or shrubs. Grass lawne
will not much prevent the sunshine, and I am fully
convinced that a gravel drive m front of a vinery is
not an impediment to the suecess of vines, but, on the
contrary, beneficial, because gravel wards off the wet
and attracts the rays of the sun in a manner altogether
different from mere garden soil.

If such a method is employed in connection with
the ramifying roots of vines after the soil has been pre-
pared according to the above directions, and the gravel

c 2

20 THE FORCING GARDEN.

well rolled, it will form a most beneficial medium for
conducting heat to the roots. Of course there may be
a border of, say, six or eight feet, immediately in front
of the house and from the main stems of the vines;
although I once had a vinery which produced fine
healthy crops of fruit where no such border existed
aud with nothing in front of it but a broad gravel
walk and a lawn. The direct influence of the sun
upon the roots of the vine is no doubt one (if not
the chief) cause of their doing well and producing good
sound wood with fine coloured fruit free from dis-
ease; hence the advantage of my vine-border or pro-
tector. (See illustration.)

On examination we find that all creeping or climb-
ing plants live near to the surface of the ground, 2.e.
the roots run under the surface not many inches deep,
and the vine is one of these. Let this fact suffice.
The vine border should be fairly drained, but the vine
should have some sure means of getting a sufficient
supply of liquid food, and this should be of a nutritious
character. Now cow-dung worked into the soil will
supply this by being surrounded with the water which
the rains give, this being more retentive of moisture than
stable manure. Again, if vines are watered once or
‘twice, during the early spring and summer, with cow-
dung diluted with water so as to form a liquid, it will
prove a source of great benefit to them. I am of
opinion that guano proves a frequent cause of
mildew.

The planting of the vine inside the house has
‘elicited many advocates, with volumes of arguments
both for and against it. In some cases it succeeds,
‘and in some it does not; but I have known only one or

PLANTING VINES. 21

two really good instances of success by planting inside
the house, while I have known several failures.

Now, some may ask, what difference is there be-
tween planting vines inside a vinery, and covering the
outside border with glass as I recommend in my ‘ pro-
tector’? <A great deal, is my reply; and, first of all, a
deeply prepared bed must of necessity be made, con-
sisting of a rich fatty matter, or rather it is so generally,
which I can prove is not necessary, for the vine, like all
fast creepers and climbers, does not run deep into
the soil unless the roots cannot otherwise get the
nourishment which they prefer; and if they are
compelled to go deep for it, the result is a defect in the
state of the fibre; hence so many failures. Secondly,
no direct rays of the sun can get at the roots, nor
any fertilising air to harden and solidify those chan-
nels attached to the stem which are necessary for the
present and future health and longevity of the vine.
I am able to prove this by a multitude of facts within
my own experience, extending over a period of forty
years. It is unquestionably the effect of the sun and
air playing directly upon the roots of vines that
develops a healthy state in them, and when these
organs are in a healthy state the branches will be so
too. As I have already said, and also proved, when
the roots are buried deep in a mass of rich and fatty
matter, where no direct rays of the sun can come to
them, they will be spongy instead of solid, clean, and
frm. Thirdly, no proper method of applying or
regulating the necessary supply of liquid moisture to
the roots according to their wants can be adopted.

But when vines are planted so that their roots can
run outside into soil prepared as I have described, they

22 THE FORCING GARDEN.

get both sun and air and moisture as they require it.
Then the ‘ protector’ will form the desideratum for
regulating the superfluous moisture during the winter,
and possesses the advantage that it can be removed
when the spring comes, so that the roots can get all
the benefits arising from the full play of all three
elements. Here then can be seen the difference
between planting vines inside the house and _ pre-
venting the roots getting outside by walls. I have
known several failures of young vineries caused solely
through this, and where they do not immediately fail,
it is by reason of a great deal of labour in watering
and artificial manure, or else failure would prove in-
evitable. Those who intend planting vineries for
forcing houses should plant them inside the houses, or
rather, let the stems be inside of the front wall and the
roots outside. This is easily done by small arches
turned in the front wall under the surface of the bed
outside.

WINTER PRUNING THE VINE.

The manner of pruning the vine depends chiefly
upon the constitution of the plant. Some prune on
the long-spur and some upon the short-spur, whilst
others do so on the long-rod plan, and each of these
may be equally good. The long-rod pruning can only
be adopted when the vines are very strong, and it
is known that this method can be safely employed
annually without deterioration, or ultimately causing
a failure of the vines.

Either of the two former methods may be adopted
annually, and some experienced gardeners always
prune on the short-spur and get good crops while

PRUNING THE VINE. 2a

others adopt the long-spur with similar results. But
the secret of success in both cases lies in the strength
of the vines, and the management of them during the
formation of the young wood the preceding summer.
In some cases close cutting the spur or the young
wood to one eye will, to some extent, prove a loss as
regards fruit the following season. This will happen
in cases where the vines are too thick, and where,
during the previous summer, there was an insufficient
supply of light and air for the young and early growth,
and where the laterals were stopped too soon. The

Fia. 10. Fig. 11.
SECTION OF GRAPE VINES, WINTER AND SUMMER PRUNED.

References to vines.—No. 10, alternate long-rod pruning. No. 11, long-spur pruning,
aa; BB,rod short-spur pruning; cc, laterals that have borne fruit, to be cut at
d; E, successional lateral to c, to he cut off at line /

cause of failure in such cases arises from the imperfect
development of the bud or eye. The long-spur method
is attended with more certainty as regards the crop,
from the fact that under all circumstances the second
and third eyes from the base of the last year’s growth
are the proper fruit buds; and while the base-bud will
give fruit, the others will give finer and a greater num-
ber of bunches to each eye.

24 THE FORCING GARDEN.

Now a difficulty will present itself to the novice, in
this way. If I prune this lateral, leaving two or three
eyes this season, where shall I be next year from the
leader? Well, you see, here is a base-eye left. Now,
as soon as the fruit is formed, and you have selected
the best developed bunch of the two or three upon the
second or third eye (and it can be easily distinguished
which will be the finest bunch as soon as they are in
flower), divest the spur of all after-growth as soon as
the flowering is over, and leave none upon the spur
but what are really wanted for the following season,
and encourage the base-bud growth as much as possible.
Do not stop it till it is a foot in length, then this will
be just in the same position to give fruit spurs as was
the one preceding it and which is bearing fruit, and so
it goes on successively year after year. It will always
be found that the first bud or eye is less prominent
than the one above it, and that the third one will be
even more developed than either of the other two.
This one and those above it are the best fruit eyes.

The time for pruning the vine is a matter of im-
portance. It may be done as soon as the leaf turns
yellow and begins to fall, but no pruning should be
cone to a vine in a house much after Christmas; while
for vines which have to be forced, the pruning must be
done before that time. In all vine-pruning the weak
spray stuff should be cut out clean, or to one eye if
necessary, to reserve that one for a supply of wood for
the coming season. Never allow too much young growth
to remain on young vines to fruit at one time; judg-
ment must be exercised, and an acquaintance with the
constitution of the vine is necessary to understand this.
I have known young vines ruined by allowing too much

PRUNING THE VINE. 25

of the preceding year’s wood to remain on the leaders.
If it is, say, three years old and has made vigorous
growth, which is generally the case the first five or six
years after planting, not more than three or four feet
of young wood should be left to fruit on the leaders at
a time, from two years after planting till the vine is five
or six years old, or until it has been planted so long;
and the laterals must be allowed to bear only one
bunch of fruit each up to that age. In these days of
advanced horticulture I find vines frequently trained
just one half too thick in most houses. The conse-
quence of this is premature or unripe wood, which
results in a partial or complete failure of the crops,
mildew, «&e.

No vine leaders should be trained thicker or closer
together than two feet and a half, then the ripening and
oxidising influences of the sun and air can get at the
young wood and ripen it to perfection. To know when
this is the case, examine the cut when the winter prun-
ing is done, and if the wood is matured and as it should
be, to ensure a good crop of fruit next season, it will be
solid and pithless; but if not properly ripened, it will
then be brown in the centre and possess some pith.
Always use a keen-edged, thin pruning-knife, and make
the cut at right angles, or as nearly so as you can, and
cut half an inch above the eye.

SUMMER PRUNING THE VINE.

This is frequently done in an indifferent manner,
but Iam of opinion that success depends more upon
the summer than upon the winter pruning ; for, if vines
are not judiciously handled during the summer growth,

26 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the wood will not mature itself, as I have before re-
marked, and then, let the winter pruning be what it may,
and let it be done ever so well, the results will be
either a partial or an entire failure in what might have
been a prime crop of well-grown fruit.

As soon as the fruit shows itself sufficiently to
select the bunches for ripening, divest the vine of all
the laterals, and stop such as are left on for fruiting,
at one eye above the bunch; but never stop the
leaders till they have advanced to the limits of the
house, nor even then if it can be possibly avoided. It
is bad policy in Grape growing to stop the young wood
too soon, and also to allow it to grow too thick. A vine
should be one leaf thick above the fruit and no more.
This is all that is required for a shade to the fruit, and
no more must be allowed if you want well matured
wood for fruiting next year. |

All laterals arising after the first stopping should
be frequently removed, and no young wood allowed to
remain but what is absolutely useful for the ensuing
season for fruiting. It is far better to remove old
leaders after the third season than to let them remain,
and to substitute a new leader. In cases where the
vines are strong a new leader can be well trained inter-
mediately, in two seasons, the whole length of a roof
sixteen or twenty feet upwards. A leader will do this
in one season if the vine is strong; it is not how-
ever advisable to allow it to remain the whole length
made in one season, but to cut it back one half at
least, and the next season it may remain the whole
length of the roof, when the old leader may be cut
out clean to the bottom.

THE GRAPE VINE. 27

FORCING THE VINE.

The Grape vine is a subject that will bear a high
degree of heat, but to apply it properly requires some
little care. In its natural habitats it has the advan-
tage of a progressive heat advancing gradually from
50° to 100°, and even above that temperature. Now if
a vine is suddenly introduced from, say, 30° or 40° into
a heat of 70° or 80°, the probability is that some of the
eyes will prove abortive, some of them will prematurely
burst, while others—the less matured ones—will not
break at all. In forcing the vine, commence with a
temperature of, say, 50° for a week, then raise it 5°, and
advance 5° more till it is 75°, and when the berries
begin to swell 80° may be maintained during the day-
time till the fruit is full grown, when a fall of a few
degrees will not matter.

As soon as the berries begin to colour, admit air
both day and night, keeping up a temperature of 75°
or 80° by day, and one of 55° or 60° by night. The
sudden fall of 20° by night will materially promote the
colouring of the fruit; in fact, you cannot colour Grapes
well unless the night air as well as the day air is
admitted. This brings down the temperature, and the
low temperature thickens the juices, which get oxi-
dised by virtue of it playing well round the fruit,
through the agency of the tire-heat, thus giving a
vitality to it which is constantly supplied and quick-
ened by the heat during the day and night. Many
people are afraid of admitting the night air, and think
the fruit will get a chill, but it is not so. If the fire-
heat is kept up, that is, a good heat, with an abundance

28 THE FORCING GARDEN.

of air both night and day, it will be found the only
sure way of colouring Grapes.

THINNING OUT THE BERRIES.

There is no doubt that frequently too much of this
is done. In thinning out the berries care must be
taken so as not to maim the limbs too much, for if this
should happen the bunch will suffer from the check to
the free circulation of the sap to those berries left for
perfection. I think that some of the defects which
manifest themselves in various ways may be attributed
to this thinning out too much. There is no doubt
whatever but this is the chief cause why Grapes do not
colour so well as people frequently look for.

There are some circumstances connected with Grape
growing under which too much thinning out of the
berries will conduce very much to a want of colour; for
instance, through injudicious management of the early
forcing of the Grape, an imperfect admission of air or
bad air, insufficient light, an uncongenial state of the
roots, a want of moisture during the perfecting of the
berries, or a want of the sun’s influence upon the
border or ground in which the vines are growing, &c.—
where any or all of these circumstances meet together,
combined with too much handling and maiming of the
limbs of the bunch, the result will certainly be defect
in colour, shanking off, &e.

The thinning out of the berries should take place
as soon as they are about the size of a Sweet Pea, not
before, nor much after ; and all the thinning out should
be done at once.

THE GRAPE VINE. 29

ON THE USE OF LIQUID MANURE.

Liquid manure may in most cases be given to vines
once or twice during the summer, but I am of opinion
that the kind to be used is very clearly indicated. I
consider that guano is not good, as it may cause mildew.
There is nothing better, if so good, as diluted cow-dung
or sheep-dung. This should be given to weak vines
as soon as they have made enough wood to show the
bunch, and if they are strong it may be given to them
as soon as the fruit is thinned out. One or two good
soakings with this may be given during the advance of
the fruit to maturity, but not after it begins to colour.
The whole of the ground containing the roots of the
vines should be saturated with this liquid manure.

THE LATE VINERY.

Plate 12 shows the roof of a good late vinery at
an angle of 45°, which may or may not be double-
glazed ; but for keeping late Grapes through the winter
I advise to double-glaze such houses. The advantages
are obvious: first, double-glazing prevents condensation
of the vapour arising from the warmer air of the
interior upon the glass below, and consequently upon
the fruit; and secondly, the double glass maintains a
more even temperature, for, by a free circulation of
fresh air, and a little fire heat to warm the pipes G,
no mildew can settle upon the bunches, nor other ill
effects arise from long keeping.

In this case, as in that of the early vinery, the
border protector, Cc, will be quite necessary from
November until March, when the glass may be removed

30 THE FORCING GARDEN.

for the summer, at which time the border and roots of
the vines will get all the genial influences of the
summer rains and oxidising influences of the air,
which is of some importance, though little is thought
about this matter. This is one of the chief causes why
vines planted outside and where the ground is acted
upon by the full rays of the sun thrive so much better
than they do inside. As I have said before, the full
influence of the sun upon the roots is as essential for

“ NAN ANSE Soe
> ax SH Sy AQ ANS WAN SAN SS >
MMAR GASSS
Fic. 12.—SECTION OF LATE VINERY, FACING WEST, AT AN ANGLE OF 45°,
Reference to plan.—a, the back wall; B, the roof; c, the border protector; d, the
nings along the front to admit air (these consist of my sliding shutters); z,

the ventilation of same sliding shutters as the front, but larger; f/f, the vine
border and ground prepared under the house; G, one flow-and-return hot-water

pipe.

the well-being of the vine as it is for the branches; in
other words the warmth of the sun for the ground
where the roots are is absolutely necessary, and when
planted inside the house it can never come to them
well. I have seen and have before mentioned the good
effects of the sun’s influence upon the roots of the
vine.

The late vinery should be provided with means of
applying heat when it is wanted, for sometimes our

THE GRAPE VINE. 31

summer weather, and generally the autumn weather,
is so uncongenial that in some parts it is doubtful if a
crop of late Grapes can be ripened without some arti-
ficial means; and almost invariably a little fire is
necessary from the month of November till they are
cut, to prevent black mildew and to preserve the fruit
sweet.

The thinning-out, summer and winter pruning, &c.,
are the same as for other vineries,

CHAPTER III.

GROWING GRAPES IN POTS.

THIS is a convenient and pretty method of growing+
Grapes. It is a charming sight to see a pot of Grapes
on the table actually growing, when the leaf is healthy,
and the fruit is in its prime with all the beautiful
bloom upon it.

The Grape will accommodate itself to all persons
who possess glass of any kind for growing it in pots, 7.e.
it can be so grown in any kind of hot-house, cold-house,
or frame. The well-known Mr. Thomas Rivers experi-
mented on Grape-growing many years ago, and found
that it could be done in comparatively small pots for
many successive years, and be made to bear fine fruit.
The difference between getting Grapes early and late
depends upon what sort of treatment they receive.

The Grape seems to flourish for successive years by
annual forcing, provided that the roots can obtain the
nutriment required by the fruit and branches. This
may be effected by weekly waterings with strong liquid
manure, and this may consist of diluted sheep-dung
or cow-dung, which latter is, I think, the best for
vines. Do not give it too strong, but often. One-year-
old well-grown vines thoroughly ripened may be used,
but two-year-old plants are better. The pots may be

GROWING GRAPES IN POTS. 33

ten, eleven, or thirteen inch ; but the ten or eleven inch
are large enough for three or four years.

The vine must be well established in the pot by the
month of October, and about the end of November it
may be cut back to, say, three feet, and tied to a stick
fixed in the pot and may then be set in the house where
there is but little or no fire heat, for a week or two.

I find that if vines in pots are pruned and at once
placed in much heat they will bleed. Of course all
depends upon the state of the roots; if they are at all
inan active state—which they frequently are when grown
in pots—they will bleed if introduced into a brisk
heat immediately after pruning. In the course of a
fortnight from the introduction of the vines into the
forcing house the heat may be raised ten degrees, and
so continue till the temperature rises to 70°, where it
may stand until the fruit shows.

When the fruit is fairly set, a few degrees more
may be added to the temperature to swell off the
berries quickly. No more young wood must be allowed
on these vines than is absolutely necessary, that is,
only just the quantity of wood which bears the fruit,
and as many laterals springing from the base of the
spur as will be required for fruiting next year. If only
one bunch is allowed on each lateral, the second bud
from the base will be a plump one for fruiting next
season, but some care is necessary to maintain a good
and vigorous habit in these pot-vines by weekly
waterings with liquid manure as soon as the fruit is
set. The spur system of pruning must be adhered to.

The pots should be set on beds of soil or tan and
allowed to remain there till after fruiting, or till the

D

34 THE FORCING GARDEN.

fruit is ripe. Then the roots will get through the
bottom of the pot and feed the vine from the bed. |

VARIETIES OF THE VINE BEST SUITED FOR POTS.

Almost any kind of Grape may be grown in pots, but
the Black Prince, Black Hamburgh, Royal Muscadine,
Chaptal, the Frontignans, Fontainebleau, and the Sweet-
water, are all excellent sorts for ordinary pot-culture.
These may be had in good strong fruiting canes in pots
at 3s. 6d. to 5s. each, and if the wood is well ripened
in the autumn they may be pruned at once, carefully
shifted, ball entire, into ten or eleven-inch pots and put
into the house in the beginning of December, according
to the time when the fruit is wanted.

There is a particular advantage attached to the
growing of Grapes in pots beyond any other way, viz.
that a house can be partly or wholly filled with such
vines, which may be increased in number in succession.
Some may also be forced very early, and others intro-
duced very late, to give a succession of fresh ripened
Grapes, which, in my opinion, are far better than those
thick-skinned imported ones which possess a covering
like thin leather, and have but a poor quantity of juice
and that of a very indifferent quality.

Let anyone with a keen palate test the difference
between a nicely ripened bunch of fresh Grapes just
come to maturity, and one of the same sort which has
been hanging for two or three months after the fruit
has ripened, and I venture to say that the preference
will be given to the more recently ripened.

THE GRAPE. 35

THE MARKETING OF GRAPES,

The best way of sending Grapes to market is a
matter which often causes some anxiety. It is of the
utmost importance to the vendor of fruit that what he
sends to the seller is thoroughly well packed, so that
no fault can be found, which, by-the-bye, is frequently
done with a view to get the lot at a cheaper rate, and
sometimes to get it for nothing. I have experienced
some of these dodges, and would like to caution the
reader against them if he has any fruit to send to
market.

As regards sending home-grown grapes to market
so as to present them with as much of the bloom on
them as it is possible to do, take baskets holding, say,
not more than twenty pounds each. These may or may
not contain cross-handles ; but I think handles afford a
facility for carrying, as then one person ean carry one
basket without much strain. The fruit being ready,
take the baskets into the vinery in the afternoon, when
the fruit will be dry, and having a nice lot of perfectly
dry lawn-mowings of rather a long growth (say 5 or
6 inches) which have been made in the sun some time
before put some of it all round the sides of the
baskets to form a padding. Then place some packing
or tissue-paper on the hay, and turn the basket on one
end, a little slanting. Then let a second man cut the
bunches and bring them to. the one holding the basket ;
place each bunch endways, 7.e. the stalks of each
bunch uppermost placing the bunches as close together
as they can possibly lie, and continue to do so till
each basket is nearly filled, and when near the top let

D 2

36 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the basket gently down on the bottom and fill up with
a few more bunches. Then place a few layers of soft
tissue-paper over the whole, and on this some thin
clean calico, and sew it all round the baskets, straining
the calico quite tight. Mark the exact weight of each ~
lot of fruit on the calico cover in ink, so that it cannot
be obliterated, and label each basket to its destination,
marked ‘ Perishable goods ; with care.’

In the case of Peaches, it is a good plan either to
have small fine made baskets or boxes holding a dozen
each, placing some fine tissue-paper, cotton-wool, or
wadding as we call it, next the sides; then wrap each
fruit in a double thickness of tissue-paper, and place
them quite close to each other, but not so as to press
them too tightly together. Put some layers of tissue-
paper or cotton-wool on the top of each small package,
and then place from six to twelve of these into a square
box or basket made expressly to hold the quantity,
fitted with a cover. Mark and label them as for
Grapes,

PART IL.

ORCHARD HOUSES AND GLASS HOUSES.

CHAPTER I.

THE CHEAPEST WAY TO BUILD.

THE well-known Mr. T. Rivers was remarkable for con--
structing cheap orchard houses; but whether that
celebrated orchardist was dependent upon the builder,
or whether the cost of materials is less now than it used
to be, I cannot say ; but I am convinced that houses of
the same dimensions can be erected at the present time
at a considerably less figure. The illustration on next
page shows the arrangement of a good Peach-house or
alate or medium vinery. If there is a back wall of
brick, so much the better; if not, one may be built
according to my plan (fig. 5) at the small cost of.
about 8/. for bricks, mortar, and labour, or perhaps a
little less. The other expenses of building such a house
may be fairly put at 22/. 12s., which includes the back
wall on my plan. Should no wall be required, then a
saving of 8/. will have to be deducted from this sum.
My estimate for such a house includes all the best

38 THE FORCING GARDEN.

materials, and painting the woodwork with three coats
of anti-corrosive stone-coloured paint, a door at one end,
and the other end close-boarded with one-inch boards,
ploughed and tongued, or raps nailed on to the

HA

nite

a : CE

Fic. 13.—PEACH ORCHARD HOUSE,
Top-gearing Scale 4, inch to 1 foot,
for ventilators.

References.—a, flap ventilator; B, ditto shutter one foot wide all along front; ¢,
close boarding ; DD, the back wall

Forty feet long, eight feet wide, twelve feet high at back, two feet high in front; to
be glazed without putty. Rafters to be eighteen inches apart, and two inches by
three inches scantling ; glazed with my clips with twenty-one ounce glass, eighteen
inches by twenty. The front posts three feet six inches long, three by four and a
half scantling. The plates at the eaves, three by four and a half feet; the wall
plate, two and a half by three ; the board for ventilators, &c. , three-quarters of an
inch thick. The ventilators to be in ten-feet lengths, hinged with tees ; one set of
gearing to each ten-feet length,

END SECTION.

Such a house can be profitably utilised, and I will
now proceed to show how it may be done. The back
wall can be planted with oblique cordon Peaches two

THE PEACH HOUSE. 39

feet apart. These cordon trees are the best class of
wall tree for Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot cultivation
as well as for Plums. My reason for saying so is two-
fold: first of all, a wall can be covered with these
much sooner than by any other kind of tree; and
secondly, these trees can be easily lifted once a year
to check the over-luxuriant growth which Peaches
are so much liable to when in good ground and
while they are young. Thirdly, more fruit can be had
from a given space than by any other class of tree.

In addition to these trees on the back wall, one
row of dwarf pot Plums or Greengages may be set in a
line three feet from the wall about two feet apart in the
line, that will allow for twenty trees; and in front of
these, three rows of pot Strawberries, forty pots in each
row equal to 120 pots.

The Plums can all be removed from the house as soon
as the fruit is set and placed outside toripen. The fruit
would be set about May, or by the beginning of June,
so that no shading to hurt the Peaches could occur,
and the whole of the Strawberries would be ripe by
that time, so that all these might likewise be removed.
Now there will be nothing in this house but the
Peaches, which must have air admitted night and day,
above and below, from the end of June until the fruit
is ripe. The probable result of all this will be a
remunerative one.

I may now venture to give some idea of what will
be the effect of the careful management of such a
house. Twenty Peach trees planted at the back will
in the course of two years from the planting, if well
managed, give two dozen good fruit each, which at,
say, 6s. per dozen = 12/.; 120 pots of Strawberries,

40 THE FORCING GARDEN.

each giving annually two ounces of ripe fruit in May,
at 6d. per ounce = 6/.; twenty pot Plums, each giving,
from the second year onwards, three dozen fruit or
more, at 3s. per dozen = say 111.; total amount 29/.
from this house, which cannot be considered an over-
estimate.

It appears then that within two years from the
planting and building of the house the nett cost of it
can be realised from its produce, and instead of the
profits being less, they will be decidedly more every
year afterwards.

Such a house can be most advantageously used for
late Grapes, which would in the course of two years, or
at most the third season, produce a remunerative erop
of fruit, besides which the floor could be used for other
things.

THE PEACH AND GRAPE HOUSE COMBINED.

I am convinced that the same form of house, with
a 12-inch high front wall of brick and a row of the
sliding shutters such as I have recommended for the
early forcing house, can be used for a medium crop of
Grapes and early Peaches, by a small heating apparatus
and a set of 3-inch pipes running once through the
front of the house, 7.e. one flow-and-return pipe lying
on the floor. This apparatus would cost about 101.,
including the fixing, and the advantages of it would be
very great, for the Peaches would be much earlier,
and of course of more value. And although the
vines could not be allowed to cover the roof, nor be
closer than five feet apart, with only one fruiting rod
allowed to each vine, yet the crops would be nearly as

THE PEACH PROTECTOR. 4]

valuable as a whole one, coming in as they would some
weeks earlier. The Strawberries would also ripen the
sooner.

THE OPEN-WALL PEACH PROTECTOR.

This is no doubt the most economical form of glass
that can possibly be used for protecting Peach trees on

=n

B

U,

" i SSS
Tier LT)
EGE enn

fe EA
nmim2s 4
AAA Z|,
Arle niky

Fic. 14.—SECTION OF PEACH AND WALL-FRUIT PROTECTOR.
References.—a a, the wall; BBB, the runs for sashes ; cc, the sashes; DD, the cor-
don Peach trees, trained obliquely, and winter pruned; EE, parts of the bottom

runs, made to open; jf, bottom wall bracket; g, the top wall hook; Ah, the
wall; 77, end section of the runs,

open walls. These movable sashes cost comparatively
little, including everything. Each light of ten feet long
and four feet wide can be made for 11. complete and glazed
with 21-ounce sheet glass. This will be at the rate of

42 THE FORCING GARDEN.

5s. per foot run, that is, at half the advertised prices.
No top coping of glass is required ; in fact, such things
are useless, and I may say they are positively detri-
mental on account of the dryness they cause to the
border about the trees and the want of ventilation at
the top. It is essentially necessary to obviate any
close confinement at the top for wall-Peaches, especially
from the time the trees are in flower. Those who
recommend the close glazed top coping lights are no
gardeners.

These sashes require nothing more than a board ven-
tilator at the top, made to open and shut ad lubitum by
cords fixed on the outside and running through a pulley
fixed in the wall, with the cord passing through the
run at the top so as to come to the outside in front of
the lights. Then the ventilators can be opened and
shut without opening the sashes, and the bottom being
always open, a free circulation of air is secured at all
times—a thing of immense importance in all Peach
and Plum growing. The runs are of 1-inch yellow
deal for the bottom, with the top cap fixed on iron
wall-brackets as is shown in fig. 14. The sides may
be of three-quarter stuff, the inner sides of the bottom
run being made a fixture, merely nailed on to the
bottom ; but the outer side of it must be made to open
at distances of 4 feet, to allow of the lights being
taken out when required. These openings must be
hinged on the bottom and held in position by a couple
of staples and a hook. The top run may be a complete
fixture.

If the ends of the sashes and the runs are made
quite smooth no rollers will be required, as a little
grease rubbed now and then in the bottom run will

THE PEACH PROTECTOR. 43

render it quite easy for anyone to push the sashes
along without rollers. Moreover, I am not quite sure
that the rollers would not offer an easy means for the
winds to move the sashes when it would be undesirable.
One wall bracket in four feet at the bottom will be
enough, and one wall-hook within the same distance at
the top will be enough with one screw on the top, and
one in the outside, and but one screw in the bottom
with the head countersunk and placed inside in the
middle of the run.

The sashes need not be opened if the ventilators at
the top are opened every morning at nine o'clock
during the flowering and setting of the fruit if the
wind is cutting and cold, but they should be opened
in the mild weather during the flowering of the trees.
These sashes are very portable, being made light, and
ean be utilised for other purposes besides the protection
of Peaches or Plums on the walls during the months of
February, March, and April, for they may then, if
necessary, be taken down, and laid on pits or frames
for ridge Cucumber or late Melon growing, or used as
screens on frames or pits for such plant-growing as
Primulas, Cinerarias, or seedling Calceolarias ; the pro-
pagation of Geraniums, Cyclamens, &c., for they will
not be required for the trees before February. Of course
they may be continued on the wall till the Peaches
are ripe, which would bring them on earlier and would
be equal in effect to the cool orchard house. I know
that Grapes can be produced nearly as early behind
these sashes as they can be had in a late vinery, %.e.
one without artificial heat.

Forty feet run of these sashes will not cost more,
runs and all, than 12/., and this, with only the difference

44 THE FORCING GARDEN.

of the back wall, can be substituted for a cool orchard
house that cost 22/. 12s. The advantages are not
quite equal, but that the results will be nearly so I can
vouch for, and further I can give plans and estimates
in detail for each amount. The bottom runs can be
easily taken off by unscrewing them, when the trees
require to be lifted.

CHAPTER II.

THE PLANTING AND MANAGEMENT OF PEACHES, PLUMS, ETC.

THE PEACH HOUSE.

ALTHOUGH I beg to refer the reader to my ‘Tree
Pruner’ for full particulars of their pruning and
training, yet I feel bound to give some directions in
this work as to when and how to plant Peaches and
Plums, just as a sort of ready reference.

The best time to plant these trees is, no doubt, from
the middle or end of October, or the beginning of
November, and to prune them during February and
March, for open walls; but for houses the pruning
should be done much sooner. In planting Peaches and
Plums a full south border should be selected; the soil
should consist of a somewhat sandy loam with chalk
and some gravel in it; this is necessary for all stone
fruits, but especially for Plums and Cherries. A soil
that is totally deficient of any of these is scarcely fit
for growing any sort of stone fruit. If the natural
state of the land is lacking in any of these ingredients,
and the subsoil is a cold clay, one of two things must
be done, namely, either the border on which the trees
grow, and for five or six feet direct from the wall, must
be made as described, and raised fully one foot above
the common level of the place, or the growing of
Peaches, Plums, and Cherries must be abandoned.

46 THE FORCING GARDEN.

In digging the borders on which Peaches and Plums
_are grown, great caution is necessary above all things.
I find on visiting gardens where these fruits are grown,
or rather are attempted to be grown, that comparatively
young trees are actually killed through the unthink-
ing and ruthless deep digging of the borders with
the spade; even Celery trenches are made, and Celery
grown of a great size on these borders. I know
that there is a great temptation for the gardener who
has a small garden to deal with, to appropriate the best
and most favourable aspects, so that fine and early
Celery can be had; but if he wishes to preserve his
Peaches and Cherry trees in first-class health for the
full complement of the years they may continue so, he
must abandon all deep digging with the spade about
these borders. Properly speaking, the borders should
never be dug with the spade, nor with the fork, above
seven or eight inches—merely prick the surface over
only a few inches deep. Itis not needful immediately
about the stem of Peach trees, nor should be done.

The depth indicated is also quite enough for
Radish and Potato growing. Fresh maiden loam and
leaf-mould are far better to manure or replenish the
Peach border with, than horse-dung. Leaf-mould will
grow Radishes, Potatoes, Tomatoes, and French Beans
quite equal to, or even better than, stable manure. If
the ground gets too poor for the trees, which may be
seen by the smallness of the fruit and the weakness of
the wood, give one or two good waterings during the
summer with liquid manure. One plant of the Tomato
may be grown between every two fan-trained trees,
but it must be kept from covering the branches and
the stems of them.

PLUM ORCHARD HOUSE. 47

THE PLUM HOUSE,

It is evident on all sides that Plums require quite
as much protection while they are in bloom as Peaches,

tile

LLL

|

TUMLALLULLULE ULM

l

END SECTION OF HOUSE,

Fie, 15.—SECTION OF THE FORTY-FEET PLUM ORCHARD HOUSE.
To be glazed with clips without putty.
Scale 3, inch to 1 foot.
References to plan.—aa, wall; B 8B, top ventilators, one foot wide, made to open and
shut by rack gearing, the same as for fig. 12; cc, one eighteen-inch row of
squares along the whole front, permanently glazed into the wood, and not to
open ; DDD, one-foot-wide openings all along the front, with a flap shutter hinged

below, and fastened at top with buttons; EE, eighteen-inch close board; J, the
door; G, the ends, weather-boarded.

but they do not altogether like a close and confined
air; what is wanted is a fair shelter from the cutting
winds in the spring when they are in flower. We do

48 THE FORCING GARDEN,

not get a crop of Plums of the choice kinds once in
five seasons in the openair ; one may be had sometimes
on a very favourable wall where the soil is of a warm
and dry nature, and the blossom is so sheltered that no
cutting spring winds can get at the trees. As to
Greengages, the best of Plums, what should we do if
we did not get them from France and other countries ?
Why, few persons would be able to get them at all, and
even now they are too dear for three-fourths of the
public to purchase them.

Ofall the common fruits the Greengage is no doubt
both the most delicious and most useful, yet in many
cases it can scarcely be had for money. Few indeed
can afford to give 2s. to 3s. per dozen for them, and so
they never taste them. This is a pity in a land where
there are the means for growing them. I feel determined
to induce, if possible, more persons to put up glass at a
cheap rate so as to grow such a useful fruit. The cost
is but once, and numbers could grow their own Plums
and Peaches who now think such a thing quite out of
their reach.

More able men than the writer have said and done
a great deal to promote Plum growing in this country,
and too much can scarcely be written in favour of the
art of growing stone fruits, especially the Greengage,
Plum, and the Cherry, in our own country, and in a
manner that may defy foreign competition. Why
should we allow the foreigner to come and take away
our business and our credit? We are good gardeners,
quite as good as the French or the Dutch. The
French have a climate infinitely more advantageous to
horticulture than we possess; and though we are as
good gardeners as they are, we suffer through the want

THE PLUM HOUSE. 49

of means and other facilities which they possess in this
respect. Let our horticultural community then double
their diligence and erect glass houses adapted to the
various purposes of growing Plums, early Cherries, &c.

The estimated cost of the above Plum house is
about 207. Its length is the same as that shown in
illustration No. 12, but the width is more, and the
front is higher. The back isalso higher, with a row of
front glass which is not movable. No back is accounted
for in this house. The height may seem too much,
but it gives a fine chance for the cordon Plums on the
same principle as Peach trees are trained. This is
really the only way that Plums can be kept bearing
when planted in the ground.

This house affords an abundance of head room for
good sized pot-Plums ‘on the floor. Twenty cordon
Plums may be put on the back, and sixty may be set
on the floor inthree rows. The floor must be of garden
soil mixed with some gravel of a fine kind.

You cannot induce Plums to bear well and con-
stantly every successive season unless they are either
planted in gravelly soil or are lifted once a year. What
is called ‘ starving ’ the trees is the only way of making
them bear well every season. Hence pot-Plums will
bear much better than when the same sorts are planted
in the ground. Almost always and, I might say, in-
variably, Plums cease bearing after doing so for two or
three seasons. Then they begin to make fruitless
wood, and you may coax them as much as you like, but
if the soil, and especially the subsoil, is not a thoroughly
gravelly one, and you do not lift them, they will not
bear at all. The result of a house planted on the same
plan as for Peaches, and treated in the same manner—-

E

50 THE FORCING GARDEN.

except that Plums bear on the old wood and Peaches
on the young wood, 2.e. on the wood made the preced-
ing year—will be a good and abundant crop on the back
wall, and also from the pot-plants.

I may venture to make a calculation with respect
to the results, for the satisfaction of those who may be
somewhat diffident as to whether it would pay to erect
such a house merely for Plum growing. In the first
place, the actual cost of such a house may be given at
201., not more. Then there are the twenty cordon
Plums at 1s. 6d. each = 30s.; then sixty dwarf bush
Plums for potting at 1s. 6d. = 41. 10s. ; and sixty eleven-
inch pots at 3s. 6d. per dozen = 17s. 6d.; one load
of maiden Joam and rotten manure, 5s.; total cost,
271. 2s. 6d. The first year, nothing. The second year,
half a crop, say two dozen fruit from each tree at 2s.
per dozen, that would be, from eighty trees, 160 dozen
fruit, which, at 2s. per dozen supposing them to be
Greengages = 16/. The third season, three dozen or
more may be had from each tree, till at last four or five
dozen fruit may be had in this way. Thus it will be
seen that from such a house full 40/. worth of fruit
may be had eventually, which cost originally, with its
contents, but 277. 2s. 6d. AndI do not overrate the
thing; for something more may be made from this
house besides the Plums every season.

All the Plums in pots may be removed from the
house as soon as the fruit is set and swelled off a little
and the danger of frosty nights is over, say by the
middle of June. They can then be moved from the
house and set upon a good border of soil where they
ean get all the summer sun, and then the fruit will
ripen equally as well as in the house, the floor of which

THE PLUM HOUSE. 51

can then be used for show Balsams for seed. The
cordon Plums, of course, always remain stationary, but
with all the air that it is possible to give them, with
frequent syringings. No aphides must be allowed on
them, but no syringing should be done after the fruit
begins to show. The constant pinching back of the
young growth throughout the summer must be done,
and the same to the pot-Plums, with a daily watering,
and once a week some liquid manure should be given
them till the fruit is fully grown, when it may be
discontinued.

Now, in a business way, suppose 120 Balsams are
seeded in this house from the time the Plums are
removed till November, the time they should be re-
placed in the house again, at the rate of 2s. worth of
seed per plant that would be 12/. in full. Thus it may
be seen that a fair living for a small family can be
realised from this one house. But let the reader bear
in mind that it is easier to calculate these figures than
it is to realise the amount.

Let no one, moreover, suppose for a moment that
nothing more is to be done than to get the trees and
to place them in the house. Some degree of care and
trouble is required, including attention to the watering,
ventilation, syringing, smoking to kill the aphides &c.,
a careful lifting of the cordons and replanting them
annually while they are young, the constant nipping
out of the points of the summer growth, and top-
dressing of the pots with a weekly watering of liquid
manure during the summer growth, are things not to
be omitted. Also ventilation during the growth and
flowering in the spring and a daily syringing before
the blossom opens—not while it is fully expanded, but

E2

52 THE FORCING GARDEN.

immediately after the fruit is set, which may be known
by the falling off of the petals. Continue likewise to
syringe morning and evening. These are things not
to be omitted, or a failure will result, and of course
dissatisfaction, and then Plum-growing will fall into
disfavour with those who look for great things without
trouble.

Many feil, and many try and do not fail, but some
few omissions of necessary duties which may not
be thought of, or which may be considered of little
consequence by the novice, make all the difference as
regards results. What a wide range exists in the art
of gardening! It isa thing which no one can show by
mere writing.

I beg here to refer the reader to my ‘Tree
Pruner’ for all the details of pruning.

THE CHERRY HOUSE.

The same class of house thatis used for Plums may
be employed for Cherries, except that more top ventila-
tion may be given, and perhaps more also at the bottom.
The top véntilation may be increased from nine inches
to eighteen inches in width, and the openings in front
may be made double the width of those of the Plum
house. The soil should be a gravelly one of a warm
nature, but not poor; gravel and sand may exist in land
and yet the land be good. [If it is not so naturally it
must be made so artificially. It would be a difficult
thing to do on a very large scale, but for such a place
as a Cherry house it would not be difficult.

It is all but useless to attempt to grow Cherries
in cold clayey subsoils on a flat surface ; I have seen so

THE CHERRY HOUSE. 53

many failures in Cherry growing that I can do nothing
better than speak thus plainly. Cherry trees are very
peculiar things to fruit at the rate we might naturally
expect, according to the show of flowers they always
make. It is often quite amazing to see what an abun-
dance of healthy blossom falls from Cherry trees every
spring, and perhaps not one pound of Cherries can be
gathered from a tree that would be capable of bearing
fifty pounds of ripe fruit did the soil suit it.

Two things seem to be requisite for the Cherry, viz.
a warm, dry and free air and a free soil; if the former
is low and abounding with moisture, few or no Cherries
will be had; if the former condition suits it and the
soil does not, the same thing will be the result. I have
tried this in my time and have found it to be correct.
This brings me to the conclusion that the Cherry likes
above all things, and can be best grown under, well
ventilated glass. The soil being suitable, and the
temperature warm and dry with an abundance of fresh
air admitted daily during the expansion of the flowers,
the pollen gets distributed and fertilises the flowers
more freely than it would do if exposed to the damp
of our cold nights, whereby it gets glued and cannot
disperse itself, so that the stigma loses itsenergy. The
fruit cannot in consequence stone; hence a partial or
total failure arising from such unfavourable atmospheric
and subsoil conditions,

Back-wall cordon-trained trees and pot-culture seem
to be the proper things for the Cherry. From its peculiar
tendency to produce an abundance of flowers one can
easily see that it is particularly adapted for close grow-
ing either as pot trees or as cordons; what are techni-
cally called ‘short spurs’ are soon formed on it, which

54 THE FORCING GARDEN.

will maintain their character as fruit bearers for many
years. This characteristic is perhaps more especially
a feature of the Cherry than of any other fruit tree ; for
when once the spur is formed, and that is quickly done,
it will be maintained, I might almost say, as long as
the tree shall live. Iam referring particularly to the
wall or pot-Cherry, and more especially to the ‘ cordon
trained’ tree.

The Cherry is especially adapted for the ‘ cordon,’
more so than any other class of fruit tree ; for when the
treble cordon (which I consider the best form for
wall Cherries) is planted two feet apart, and trained
‘oblique ‘against the sun, it may be maintained per-
petually for years with much less trouble than in the
case of any other fruit tree. ‘Treble cordon’ I recom-
mend for the Cherry on walls either indoors or out, and
trained oblique at an angle of 45° and against the sun.
My motive for this will be obvious: all fruit trees, in
fact all trees, have a tendency to make more growth
towards the sun, and in the case of fruit trees that are
trained on walls, we always find that they will make
the strongest growth at the extremities; and if these
cordon-trained trees, whether Peaches, Plums, Pears
or Cherries, are trained with the sun, they will naturally
have a greater tendency to make growth at the points,
rather than below, on that very account. The sun draws
the sap towards itself; but if the tree, whatever it may
be, is trained contrary to the course of the sun, then
there will be some powerful influence to induce the
tree to make growth more regularly over the lower
parts of the tree, especially with oblique cordons.
Three rods may be allowed to each tree as in the
illustration.

THE CHERRY HOUSE. 55

If these treble cordons are planted two feet apart,
and three rods are allowed to each tree, laid in at six
inches apart, they will cover the whole wall much
sooner than can be done in any other manner. In the
first place, plant strong maidens, cut these back to three
eyes at the base; next get three good strong rods and
lay them in for permanent cordons the following season.
The next season every eye or bud will or should give a
shoot, and as soon as these have each made two or three

Fie. 16.—TREBLE CORDON OBLIQUE CHERRY, WINTER PRUNED,

inches of growth, nip the point out, thus a fruit-spur
will soon be formed corresponding more or less with the
illustration above. If there isa tendency in the plants
to make more growth at the points of the leaders than
should be made, and which would draw too much
upon the laterals (which will be seen by the weakness
of the latter), nip the points out, this will induce the
laterals to make more growth, which is necessary till

56 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the spurs are strong, when the leaders may be allowed
to advance until the tree is fully developed.

The Cherry above all other fruits is liable to be in-
fested with the black aphides both indoors and out.
This pest will so infest the points of the young shoots
as completely to stop all further growth, but they will
not attack the older foliage. Now the constant nipping
out of the points of the young growth will be one
means of preventing these attacks. The remedies are,
to fumigate them when in the house, and when on the
open wall to syringe the trees with some insecticide.

In my opinion a house planted with the May
Duke, Bigarreau Napoleon, or the old Bigarreau, each
of which bears well, would fetch from 9d. to 1s. per
pound freely, for Cherry trees bear abundantly when
well managed, and many pounds may be had from one
of these treble cordons when it is fully developed. It
is seldom, however, that the best dessert Cherry trees
can be made to bear on open walls, but under a well-
constructed house an abundance of fruit may be had.

Now suppose a house of the same dimensions as
the Plum-house with a back wall of the same height,
planted with twenty cordon Bigarreau or the May
Duke, and trained on this plan, they would cover the
wall in the course of four years and be full of fruit-
spurs three-fourths of the way up; and on each of
these treble cordons there would be in all probability
ten pounds of fruit, which at one shilling per pound,
ten shillings per tree, 10/., and say 15/. for fruit from
the whole of the pot-trees, that would be 25/. from
such a house, which would be a remunerative thing
considering the little trouble and expense, there being
no firing nor pots required after the first outlay. An

THE GOOSEBERRY HOUSE. ay

abundance of air and water, with a daily syringing of
the trees as soon as the flowering is over, must be the
chief business in Cherry growing under glass. Dwarf
bushes for pots may be had at the nurseries for about
ls. 6d. each out of pots, and in pots at 2s. 6d. or so
each. So much for Cherry growing. Now I come to
what may be called a novel affair.

THE GOOSEBERRY HOUSE.

Gooseberries can be and are forced in some few lordly
places; but as arule this is new from a commercial
point of view. However, I feel convinced not only of

Fic. 17.—SECTIGN OF A SIXTY-FEET HALF-SPAN ROOF HEDGE GOOSEBERRY HOUSE.

References to house.—aa, roof glazed into fixed rafters, twenty inches apart; BB,
the walls all round of Yew, Cupressus, or Arborvite, and kept clipped ; c,asection
of the ventilator all along the half roof, two feet wide, opened by rack gearing.

a

—_——_ +

EXD SECTION OF HOUSE.

its utility, but also of its commercial benefit to the
grower. The crop is both a certain and a remunerative

58 THE FORCING GARDEN.

one in most cases, and why should it not be so under
similar circumstances to that of the Cherry ?

Early Gooseberries are sought after more than any
other fruit, and if there is any doubt about getting
Gooseberries large enough for tarts by Whitsuntide,
with numbers of persons it is quite a serious thing ;
and then, if they can be had, which is not always
certain, as much as ls. per quart or more must fre-
quently be given. Now an average sized bush will
give four or five quarts, and as many as eight or ten
may be had from a large bush. Suppose, then, a roughly
built orchard house, say, sixty feet long, sixteen feet
wide, and seven feet high in the middle, like the sketch
above, is appropriated to the growing of Gooseberries,
why should it not pay? The cost of this house will
be 271., everything complete, of good materials, painted
with three coats of anti-corrosive paint, glazed with
2l-ounce glass, 20 by 18, on my plan, and without
putty.

This price does not include the cost of the hedge all
round, which would be about 2/. 12s. for the tree Box
two feet high, planted one foot apart, forming a close
hedge at once; 1l. 3s. for the Arborvite, two feet high,
planted one foot apart ; and 1/. 16s. for the common Yew,
two feet high, planted one foot six inches apart. But
of the three I should recommend the Box, and next to
that the Siberian Arborvite. The Yew is some time
taking hold. These hedge orchard houses are good
things for Gooseberry and Plum growing, and if the
hedges are kept neatly clipped they look exceedingly
well and form a wall nearly as close as a boarded one,
so far as observation goes, though they are always open
sufficiently to admit a softened air current through the

THE GOOSEBERRY HOUSE. 59

house, so that there is never the danger of suffocating
the trees, which is often the case with closed walls of
boards or bricks. The outside air passes through these
hedge walls in a gradual manner, just enough to meet
the demand inside so as to prevent this class of tree
from being drawn too much, yet at the same time
affording sufficient break and shelter to maintain a
temperature much beyond any that can be commanded
without glass. Hence it will be found that Gooseberries
can be forced and be ready for use several weeks sooner
than they would be without glass, and if they are not
much in demand before Whitsuntide, they will by that
time be as large again as those in the earliest gardens,
and of course command a better price if they are grown
for sale.

The trees should consist of the early sorts, such as
Green Walnut, Jolly Angler, Pitmaston Greengage,
&e.; and should be clean-stemmed three-year-old
plants ; but in no case should anyone buy plants with
suckers or spray about the roots or on the stem, for
these will be a continual source of annoyance. Goose-
berries must at all times, and under all circumstances,
be kept free from suckers about the roots, and it should
be remembered that it is useless merely to cut them
off when they appear, for cutting suckers off close to
the ground, or even under the surface, is quite useless.
The only way to eradicate them entirely is to take the
plant up, and then with the knife cut the suckers clean
out from the base, leaving no bud to reproduce them.
This should be done whenever they appear.

The trees should be three feet apart, and they may be
planted as early as September, but not later than the
middle of October; then a crop of fruit may be had

60 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the following season. But if they are planted later,
little or no good fruit can be expected the first season.
They must not be planted too deep, for that is also a
cause for the growth of suckers. The roots should be
no more than five or six inches under the surface of
the ground and well fixed. If the soil is dry, give each
tree a can of water as soon as they are all planted.
The house should face the south, and the trees should
be planted in rows across the house. The pruning
may be done at once as soon as they are planted.

The trees must net be excited before January,
when the house may be kept closer at the top. The
fruit of the Gooseberry is impatient of frost, therefore
if it is in danger from the late frosts, mats or frigi-
domo must be laid on the lights at night and kept on
for an hour or two after sunrise. If the ground is
good, which it should be, the trees will grow strong
and produce abundantly. Pruning freely must be
resorted to annually—not, however, as some say, by
‘pinching out the points of the leaders.’ No good
gardener will do that except in extreme cases where
the leader extends beyond reasonable limits. Let all
the leaders grow at full length, except some that are
extending too far; these may be merely ‘tipped’ as
we say, 2.e. cut off a few inches from the points,
These main leaders are the future fine fruit-bearers
and will produce fruit in long strings.

In pruning, keep the trees well open, and the
bodies of them well supplied with some young healthy
wood. Cut back the old wood and straggling growth
so as to keep a healthy compact growth of fully deve-
loped young wood among these house trees. Goose-
berry trees will get too large here if not judiciously

THE GOOSEBERRY. 61

managed, and if not well managed in the pruning they
will be deficient of good fruit-bearing wood.

Liquid manure may be given them from the time
the fruit begins to swell till it is ripe; two ounces of
guano to one gallon of water once a week will be found
very beneficial. The ground should be watered with
this all over, and one good sowing with soot will be
found an excellent and stimulating manure for Goose-
berries ; this should be put on before the trees break
leaf.

Soot is a good preventive against insect pests,
especially the fly that produces the ‘ Gooseberry cater-
pillar,’ a pest frequently very troublesome in the fruit-
ing time. The fly does not like soot, and if it is sown
over the whole of the bushes before they break leaf, it
will not settle upon them; soot is also a fine manure
for the trees, but the Gooseberry requires a top dressing
with some substantial manure besides, which should be
put on the ground as soon as the leaves drop, and then
forked in with a three-pronged Potato fork (not with
the spade), taking care never to dig close to the stem,
nor in any case to raise the roots up near the surface of
the ground, for be it remembered the Gooseberry will
readily emit branches from the roots if they are
brought above the surface.

THE GOOSEBERRY IN POTS.

The Gooseberry will produce a fine and abundant
crop of fruit when grown in pots under glass. Itisa
gross feeder, it is true, but by giving liquid manure to
the trees once a week from the time the fruit begins to
swell fine fruit may be obtained.

62 THE FORCING GARDEN.

The house illustrated below will be found an excel-
lent one for pot-Gooseberries, and if there is a wall nine
or ten feet high, the expense of building such a house
will be comparatively small. The back wall can be
appropriated either for Plums trained obliquely, or for
Red Currants, where they will bear early and abundantly.
The Red or White Currant can be trained in exactly the
same manner as the Plum or Cherry on the cordon
plan. The leaders will remain the same, and will last
for years, but all the young growth made the last

Fic. 18.—END SECTION OF A LEAN-TO HOUSE FOR CORDON PLUMS, OR RED CUR
RANTS, ON THE BACK WALL; AND THREE ROWS OF POT-GOOSEBERRIES.

Back wall, ten feet high ; front, two feet; eight feet wide.
Reference.—A, the wall, ten feet high; B, the top ventilator, one foot wide all

along the house, to open and shut by rack gearing; c, the bottom opening, one
foot wide, all along the front of house ; d, three rows of pot-gooseberry trees.

season must be cut off close to the spur annually,
except such young wood as is required for the filling
up of vacant places. (See the ‘Tree Pruner.’) Green-
gages will do well in this house if planted two feet
apart and trained on the ‘ oblique cordon plan.’

The above house is set out in the following propor-
tions :—ten feet high at the back, eight feet wide, and of
any desired length. The cost of such a structure may

THE GOOSEBERRY. 63

be estimated at 4s. per foot run, complete, without
the wall, of course. Thus a house sixty feet long
would cost 12/. provided that you go first hand to work,
otherwise it may cost twice that sum; but even then it
might’ be called cheap by some. But I guarantee that
it can be done well and glazed with 15 oz. glass, 20 by 18,
on my wind-and-water-tight vertical bar with plain
pressure clips. These are far better for glazing with-
out putty than the under clips, 2.e. clips which are
nailed on cross bars, and then come under the laps, -
and turn up over the glass; the main difficulty is how
to replace a broken square, as no one can replace one
from the inside; the whole row must be taken out to
put one in at the top or in the middle.

Such a house costing 12/. would hold ninety Goose-
berry trees in pots, which, after the fruit is gathered
(which would be by May, or perhaps before), might be re-
moved and plunged in the open ground for the summer,
kept well watered and encouraged to grow, and the house
used for growing ridge Cucumbers or dwarf Beans on
the bottom.

CHAPTER III.

CUCUMBERS AND MELONS.

THE CUCUMBER HOUSE.

THis house will be found the best, and in fact the
only safe means for growing winter Cucumbers under
the most adverse circumstances. It is almost impossible
in the northern counties to keep up enough heat during
the winter months under the pressure of sharp and
protracted frosts like those which we have experienced
the last two years, 1879 and 1880. No ordinary heat-
ing apparatus would meet the case in any way adequate
to the demand, except by a large amount of extra
trouble, such as keeping up a strong fire all night, by
attending to it the last thing at night, matting up, &c. ;
otherwise some expensive boiler must be used, and
even then the severe frost will get in by the morning,
or lower the temperature so much that it is almost out
of the question in the generality of cases to produce
Cucumbers all through the winter; but by adopting
the double glazing, combined with a good ordinary
apparatus, and a moderate amount of firing without
any late attention, they can be had all through the
winter and under all circumstances however trying.
This house (fig. 19,) may be lowered one foot six inches

THE CUCUMBER HOUSE. 65

and the ground excavated, which will be more favour-
able for winter Cucumber growing than if it were four
feet above the surface level; it would then be two feet six
inches above the surface, instead of four feet from the
eaves to the ground. This house is a roomy one and
is especially adapted both for winter and summer use.

Fig. 19.—SECTION OF A SIXTY-FEET ROSE-FORCING AND CUCUMBER HOUSE.

Fourteen feet wide, four feet high from ground to eaves, ten feet high to the ridge.
To be double-glazed on my plan, without putty.

References to house.—a, top ventilators, made to open by rack gearing; B, a set of
sliding shutters, two feet by one, along the south side. These work by my cords
and pulleys (see figs. 2 and 3).

HOO

END SECTION OF HOUSE.

References.—c c, pit, four feet wide, four feet deep; D D, hot-water pipes ; ¢, gearing
to open lights, aa; /, ground line.

Co3t of this house about 541, 10s.
The winter plants may be grown on the south side, and
the summer plants on the north side, there being a pit
all round the house which has a south and north roof,
which is a great advantage. Moreover it is necessary
that a Cucumber house should be adapted all the year
round for at least two stages of growth, or rather two
F

66 THE FORCING GARDEN.

crops, without any loss of time, and this house will
answer the purpose exactly.

A pit four feet wide should run round three sides
of the house, 7.e. along the two sides, and across the
further end from the door. This section of it across
the end will be found very useful for forcing Rhubarb
and Asparagus, or for plunging pots of forced Roses,
Lily-of-the-valley, &c. The side pit on the south will
be the best for winter Cucumbers, and the other side
will be found the best for the succession of summer
Cucumbers. The vines will cover the whole of the
roof, or nearly so. It will be seen by the illustration
that the pit is so situated as to admit of a pipe running
between the wall of the house and-.the pit to supply the
heat at the lowest part of the house on.the south side,
but none on the north side, where it is not really wanted
for summer Cucumbers. But for growing winter
Cucumbers a flow-and-return pipe is indispensable.

The pits may be filled with half stable dung and
half leaves, which should be well packed and thoroughly
mixed, the beds being well trodden in and quite filled.
The manure will sink by fermenting.

For this house a good boiler is necessary, such as
the thirty-six-inch tubular saddle boiler, 2.e. thirty-six
inches long, which will heat about 450 feet of four-inch
pipe well. The price is about 7/1. Or the improved
conical boiler of thirty inches, which will heat about
600 feet of four-inch pipe, the cost of which is 10/. This
last is a powerful boiler, causing but little trouble, and
perhaps the most economical as regards firing and
attention, and, in conjunction with the sure and safe cir-
cumstances connected with ‘double glazing’ of such
a house, no better or Jess expensive boiler can be had.

THE CUCUMBER HOUSE. 67

These boilers have two flow outlets, which are
necessary for this kind of house, and they also have
two returns. The Thames Bank Company, London,
keep a large stock of boilers of every class and size,
and every kind of connection and fitting. They have
also a patent method of fixing the pipes by means
of india-rubber rings for the sockets, which offers
such a facility for fixing hot-water pipes that any or-
dinarily good workman can fix them. I can fix them
myself. I was much pleased with the idea when some
little time ago I had an apparatus from them to be
attached to a Cucumber house. I will endeavour to
give the cost of it, and I find by a pretty correct caleu-
lation, that for an efficient apparatus with one of these
thirty-six-inch conical boilers, 360 feet four-inch piping,
and all necessary connections, together with the fixing,
the cost will be 36/. as nearly as possible; but it must
be remembered that this is a powerful heating apparatus,
and able to keep up a growing heat let the weather be
what it may, ordinarily speaking.

The cost of building the house will be about the
same as for the early vinery with the border pro-
tector, complete, viz. 541. 10s. This is at a much
lower rate than is usual, more than 50 per cent., and
‘double-glazed,’ without which no house can be gua-
ranteed frost-proof, or even warranted to maintain a
temperature sufficient for Cucumber growing in the
winter.

Those who contemplate growing Cucumpers for the
winter should get the house finished by July and ready
for making the bed by the end of the month, and as
soon as August comes, commence to make a good bed
in the south pit, and when the heat rises sow the seed.

F 2

68 THE FORCING GARDEN.

I prefer seed to plants from cuttings for this winter
work, because seedlings are rather more free of growth
than cuttings. At intervals of three feet all along
the middle of the bed place a_ hillock containing
about half a bushel of fine maiden loam and decayed
stable dung of about equal parts, and make each of
them a little flat on the top similar to the bottom of a
basin inverted. The next morning draw a circle with
the finger on this flat about an inch deep, and place
three seeds in each, and cover them up an inch or so.
In the course of two days and two nights the seedlings
should appear, and will do so if the bottom heat is
good and brisk (which it should be at this time), and if
the house is kept closed.

There will be no danger of scalding if half of the
bed is of leaves raked up last autumn, and kept open
so as not to decay too much. These old leaves are
fine moderators of the strong fermenting properties of
fresh stable dung. As soon as the plants are up, shade
them during a hot sun from its full influence for a
week or two till the plants get strong, which shading
must then be discontinued except on some very bright
days.

As soon as the roots of the plants begin to run out
add more soil to each hillock, and finally fill up, making
eight or nine inches in the depth of the soil over the
whole bed. The compost as a rule should not be sifted,
but merely chopped with the spade, mixing all the
lumps and fine together. If more than two plants
come up in each hillock, the third may be removed, but
even one is enough for fruiting. As, however, some
casualty may happen from various causes, it is best not

THE CUCUMBER. 69

to be in a hurry to remove the second plant before
you can make sure of one good one.

No fire-heat will be necessary before September
when the nights begin to get cold, and water must be
carefully given at first. A little air may be admitted
above, but not much and only on fine days. If insects
appear, fumigate immediately. The most troublesome
pest is the thrip; no time must be lost as soon as it
appears, but apply at once some mild insecticide by
carefully sponging the under side of the leaf, or apply
tobacco powder with a dredging-box to the same part
of the leaf, for this is where it secretes itself, and if left
alone for a few days, woe be to the Cucumber plants,
for the remedy will very likely be as bad as the disease.
So hard is this pest to despatch, that in nine cases out
of ten it will be a wonder if you do not kill the plants
in trying to despatch this tenacious enemy. Watch
therefore and keep up a sharp look-out for its first
appearance. There are few other enemies likely to
trouble you so much as this in house Cucumber
growing.

As soon as the plants reach the roof, which should
be provided with wires on which to train the vines,
the leaders should be stopped. This will induce the
plants to give two or three laterals, which must he
trained out, and as soon as these get a foot long stop
them, which will induce more laterals, and these will
give fruit. As the vines advance some thinning out
will be necessary. Do not allow them to become con-
fused, but keep them well trained and moderately thin.
At times some cutting back of a portion of the leaders
will be necessary to prevent a lack of young stuff, and
consequently fruit, at the lower part of the vines.

70 THE FORCING GARDEN.

As the winter draws near, say, November and
onwards, a good fire-heat will be necessary. A heat of
75° must be kept up during the day, allowing a fall of
5°, and not more than 10°, at night. Some liquid
manure may be given to the plants when they are in
bearing, but care is necessary as to what sort is used,
and for this purpose I am of opinion that nothing is
better than slight dressings with nitrate of soda, with
now and then a very slight sprinkling of soot over the
surface of the bed. These are of course in powder, and
not in a liquid state. Both of them are remarkably
strong stimulants and must be used with great care.
They are good preventives against the progress of
insect pests also. Guano, and animal manures such as
cow-dung and sheep droppings, are frequently a source
of trouble as well as advantage, for while I admit that
they are good stimulants, they also frequently introduce
numerous insect plagues into the house or frame, and
where such tender plants as the Cucumber or Melon
exist, they cause an incalculable amount of trouble.

The pit on the north side of the house can be well
and profitably used for forcing Rhubarb from November
till March by placing some leaves two feet thick at the
bottom, treading them in tight, setting the roots upon
the bed with a little soil on them, and then some leaves
over the roots. Or cover the pit over the top so as to
exclude the light, and an abundance of Rhubarb can be
had by the end of December or in January ; or, again,
a bed may be made by filling the lower part three
feet up with leaves only, watering as you proceed, and
treading them in tight. Then put nine inches of fine
soil on them and make them level; place three- or four-
year-old Asparagus plants as close as you can; put

ASPARAGUS. 71

them all over the bed, and cover the whole with four or
five inches of fine and good sandy soil, composed of one
part maiden loam, one part old pulverised manure, and
one part sea sand. The plants may be put on this bed
in November or the beginning of December.

Asparagus thus forced will be early and good and
will pay perhaps better than anything else. At a fair
computation full 20/. worth of good saleable Asparagus
may be had from this bed by March if the roots are
strong and good, well bedded in, and watered, as soon as
the heads show up, with salt water. Do not shade them,
and get the heads as green as possible. In bedding the
roots in, first examine every crown and cut out all the
weak buds which are found round the most prominent
ones, as these will give only small spray stuff and will
materially weaken the buds for fine Asparagus.

As soon as the middle or end of March comes it
will no doubt be so far over as not to be worth retain-
ing, therefore remove all the roots, and off with the
soil and one half of the leaves, which will be partially
decayed. Then make up the deficiency with fresh
stable manure, and fork the whole over, turning and
well mixing both the old leaves and the fresh manure
together, making a good firm bed for the summer
Cucumbers. The plants for this batch should be strong
ones struck from cuttings a week or two previous to
making up the bed, and as soon as it has a little
bottom heat, which will be in a day or two, put the
plants out as for the winter batch. It will be necessary
to keep a sharp look-out for the red spider and thrip
at this time. Keep up a nice humid atmosphere
in the house by syringing all the pipes every morning,
and in the evening also during the fine sunny days as

12 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the days draw out. Give top ventilation during hot
sunny weather ; shade and close at four o’clock.

Shading.—I have found that a green shade ofa light
nature is a good thing and that a very thin transparent
green paint laid on the glass outside for the summer is
good for some things. But for Cucumbers I can hardly
recommend it ; fine green gauze is as good as anything
for shading the sunny side of the roof, but none will
be required for the north side. If the gauze is sewn
together, with tapes sewn all round the edge, and one
across the whole width (%.e. the width of the south
roof), at distances of three feet, itcan then be tacked
on the roof and strained quite tight. The shading
may remain on during the hot months without any
harm.

When the young Cucumber plants begin to bear
the old ones should be removed, for they will only en-
gender numerous insect pests. Clear all out, therefore,
soil and all, except a few inches to form a surface on
which to place pots of Balsams, Cockscombs, young
Primulas, &c. Iam not disposed to raise the expecta-
tions of anyone too high, but I may assert for a fact
that by good practical judgment and management such
a house can be made to pay more than the cost of
erection the first year, but not if you go to professional
builders, for then such a house complete will cost fully
501, more, heating apparatus and all. For the satis-
faction of some I may venture on an estimate of what
may be made from such a house the whole year in and
out :—Asparagus, say 20/.; early Cucumbers, say 800
at 1s. each, 40/.; late ditto, 800 at 6d. each, 201.; cut
Lily-of-the-valley from the pit across the end, say
2,000 spikes, more or less, at 81. per 1,000, 16/.; 300

THE MELON. 73

pot plants, various, at 1s. each, 15/. Now, no one can
dispute this, yet it will more than cover the first cost
of the building and apparatus complete.

THE MELON HOUSE.

The same class of house which has been already de-
scribed for Cucumbers will do well for Melons, except
that a flatter roof may be used. An angle of not more
than 30° should be employed for Melons, as no shading
should be given them. There is a vital difference
between growing Melons and Cucumbers. The latter
require quite as much heat, but not so much light;
and upon the whole the Melon is much easier to grow
than the Cucumber, as a rule, to which there are some
exceptions, of course, and these relate to the growing of
early Melons.

Early Melons are difficult to set as regards the
fruit, for want of sun, and the difficulty is much greater
when they are grown in frames than when grown in
houses. If they are grown in well-ventilated and light
houses, much Jess trouble will arise in the setting
of the fruit. In frames they are difficult to set, on
account of the close damp air; but in a good house
the air is freer and drier, so that the pollen is easier
of distribution by insects or otherwise.

For growing early Melons, large sized glass, a
flatter roof than is used for Cucumbers, facility for
giving air, and no shading —these are the conditions for
good success ; also never to allow the vines to get thick
and confused. Nor does it answer to turn the foliage
underside uppermost. Some may not see the import-
ance of all this, but I know from experience that these

i4 THE FORCING GARDEN,

things are all important in Melon growing, and although
the Melon may be regarded as giving less trouble
than the Cucumber, yet some few precautions are
necessary that are not needed in the case of the
Cucumber. For instance, no water should ever be put
upon the collar of the plants, z.e. round about the stems
immediately attached to the roots ; Cucumbers do not
like too much of that, but Melons will canker or shank
off if they are watered there.

The Melon is very liable to the red spider in both
houses and frames, but more so in houses, especially
when the fruit is ripening. This arises from the dry-
ness of the air; the thrip will also trouble the Melon
in its early stages of growth, before the fruit gets
half its proper size. The same remedies which have
been recommended for the Cucumber may be used
here; but if some flour of sulphur is kept in the
house, laid on dry slates or sheets of iron where the
sun can get at it, and where it will be safe from
the wet, sufficiently gentle and harmless fumes as
regards vegetation will be given off, which will act
as a preventive to the red spider, thrip, &c. As
a preventive is far better than a cure, I have no
doubt but that this remedy will answer well; but if
either the red spider, or the thrip, is allowed to get
thoroughly established on the plants, and recourse
must be had to strong doses of sulphur fumes to
despatch them, nothing can be more dangerous,
for very small overdoses of sulphur fumes will destroy
every plant. Tobacco fumes are useless to destroy
these insect pests.

As soon as the Melon plants reach the roof of the
house —which is no great distance, for the top of the

THE MELON. 45

bed should not be above one foot from the lower part
of the roof—they must be trained back a little to reach
the lower rafter before they can be brought forward
up the roof, so that probably two feet will be the dis-
tance the plants will have to travel up a stick before
they can be stopped, and this must be done as soon as
the point fairly reaches the rafters. This will cause
them to make two or three shoots, on which probably
fruit may show. If so, nip them off, for no fruit must
be allowed to remain yet, not till the plants have
reached three or four feet up the rafters, then nip out
the points of each leader. This will induce a lateral to
each leaflet below, and on these will be the fruit.

As soon as one fruit on every third lateral has set,
cut all the rest of the laterals off, leaving the one with
the set fruit on it. The setting of the fruit consists
in stripping the petals from a male blossom, leaving
the stamens which contain the pollen. Then take the
female or fruit-bearing flower between the two fingers,
holding it steady, and twirl the anthers containing the
pollen in the stigma, or centre of the blossom, on the
fruit, fix it there, and leave it for fertilisation. This
setting must be done at a suitable time, 7.e. when the
flowers are wide open and dry. Allow one of the top
laterals to each leader to remain as a leader to advance
up the roof so as to cover it. Train them in regular
Grape-vine order, keep the vines thin, and by stopping,
an abundant crop of fine Melons will be had all over
the roof.

It is rather difficult to manage Melons in a con-
tinuous and successional crop, that is, constantly ripen-
ing fruit, with others continually coming on, for those
that are ripening and coming to that state are apt to

76 THE FORCING GARDEN.

erack if much water is given to the plants; at the
same time the half-grown fruit requires plenty of water
in order to get it fine. It is better to get a batch of
fruit all over the house if possible, and to ripen that
batch. Cut them, as ripe Melons will keep for some
time, and then encourage the vines to make good
growth as much as possible by cutting in and giving
liquid manure. All the second growth will now be full
of fruit, and this crop may be had as fine as the first.

The chief difficulty in Melon growing lies just
here: during the ripening of the fruit, the withhold-
ing of moisture to get good flavoured fruit gives an
advantage tothe red spider. My plan was to get.a batch
as fast as it was possible by keeping up a brisk moist
heat till the crop was near perfection, then to give an
abundance of air, and very little moisture for a few
days till the fruit began to change to a paler colour,
and when a strong perfume was given off by the fruit,
to cut it, and as soon as ever the batch was cut to
stimulate the vines as much as possible, as I have said
before ; thus the red spider may be partially or wholly
avoided.

There are a multitude of sorts now catalogued, and
no doubt each has some merit of its own; but in my
opinion there is no better Melon than the Golden
Perfection. It is of the most exquisite flavour and of
a fine medium size. The old Beechwood is another
splendid green-fleshed Melon. The latter is a round
variety, and the former is a little oval-shaped. I think
upon the whole that a round fruit looks better on the
table than some of those long Vegetable-marrow-look-
ing sorts. Golden Perfection is not out of the way
as regards length, being only slightly oval. Munroe’s

THE MELON. Tt

Little Heath is a fine ribbed and netted Melon, with
scarlet flesh of good quality, and a fine fruiter. Then
there are numerous other sorts pretty generally known.

The Water Melon is a large and very delicious
variety. It is grown abundantly in Texas, one of the
States of America, where Melons grow to perfection
without any trouble ; the farmers there simply put the
seed in the open ground in the cornfields, and they grow
up and bear very sarge fruit, which ripens to perfection,
and which the people find of great value during the
hot season. I have no doubt but that any of our
Melons would grow io perfection there quite as well as
the Water Melon; but then they are not required, they
say, because the Water Melon is by far the best.

Melon seed is, as a rule, the better for being two
or three years old but for house-work I think one year
old is the best; for the older seed not having so much
vitality in it as the newer, the plants grow less vigor-
ous than those from new seed, which does well
enough for frame-work, where as a rule there is sure to
be too much vine. But for covering the roof of a
house, vigour in the vines is necessary.

THE MELON IN PITS AND FRAMES.

A pit or frame for Melon growing should not be
less than five feet six inches or six feet wide, inside
measurement. If narrow pits are used there is not
room enough for the proper development of the leaders,
and these have to be stopped too soon or allowed to
take a retrograde or side course, and thus get so thick
and confused that no air can come to the blossom to
fertilise the fruit; hence we often find that the fruit

78 THE FORCING GARDEN.

drops off when about the size of a filbert. But when
there is sufficient room in the pit or frame, whichever
it may be, it will allow of eight main leaders from one
plant—and one plant is better than two to each light
—running out from the stem in regular divergent
order, one to each long point, and one between these,
making eight altogether. These main leaders should
reach to their limit before they are stopped, which
should be done as soon as they have reached it, when
laterals will be emitted at every leaflet along these
main leaders, on which will come an abundance of
fruit, when as many should be selected for maturity as
may be thought fit, and the rest cut off.

All growth in the vines made after the fruit begins
to swell should be nipped off, thus keeping the whole
plant clear. In this way an abundant quantity of
extra fine Melons both in size and flavour will be
ensured. As a guard against the thrip, place some
flour of sulphur upon slates laid on the bottom of a
flower-pot turned bottom uppermost so as to rise above
the foliage of the plants, and where the sun can play
upon the slate, when gentle but sufficient fumes will
be constantly emitted so as to be a check to this insect
pest.

Air may be given the plants during all sunny
weather; but close early, before the sun leaves the
frame—one hour before drawing in its life-giving in-
fluences. If these few directions concerning Melon
growing are observed, great success will attend you
without any serious drawbacks in the shape of insects.

The same routine as regards vapour, watering, &c.,
as I have already given for house Melons, is applicable
here, except that for very early Melons more bottom

THE MELON. 79

heat is necessary in frames and pits than in the house.
For these latter, when grown in pots, it is a good plan
to have one flow-and-return three-inch pipe once round
the pit above the surface, or even a two-inch pipe would
do. Such a thing is very inexpensive: two-inch pipe
costs but ls. 6d. per foot. That would be 41. 10s.,
elbows and all, for a pit 30 feet long; and the whole
cost of the boiler and everything would not be more
than 9/., or perhaps 10/., including the fixing. These
surface pipes are very beneficial for early Melon grow-
ing in pits.

The bottom heat must arise from a well-made bed
of stable manure and leaves well mixed and well
packed in, forming a tight and compact bed not less
than four feet deep for winter work. It is useless, or all
but useless, to make a bed for early Melons except it is
well made: one half leaves raked up in November, and
one half fresh stable manure, I have found the best
materials for making such a bed. There is no fear of
too strong a heat arising, as is the case when all stable
manure is used, nor do the materials require two or
three weeks’ fermentation and turning previous to
making the bed if a proportion of one half leaves is
used. As soon as the heat is up to 60° the seeds or
plants may be inserted.

The angle at which a pit or frame should be con-
structed for Melon growing may be regulated by the
same principles as for the roof of the house used for
the same purpose. For the first crop of early frame
Melons a bed should be made up by the middle of
January, and if two-inch pipes are used for surface heat,
Melons may be had by the end of April or the begin-
ning of May; but the pipes for the surface heat need

80 THE FORCING GARDEN,

not be used till the fruit is half grown if a good bottom
heat exists.

The next best way of cultivating Melons to that of
growing them in a good house, as described and illus-
trated by the plan for Cucumbers, is a pit and tank.
There is no doubt but that the tank system is the best
and most economical upon the whole, as well as the
most effective. Tanks are rather expensive things to
construct in the first instance, but are less so in regard
to the subsequent attendance and labour. Almost
everyone knows most of this, I am aware; but not
everyone can tell the cost of constructing such an
apparatus, and may imagine it would be even more
expensive than it really is to build such a tank.

THE TANK FOR CUCUMBERS AND MELONS.

The outside brickwork of this pit need not be more
than half a brick thick, which of course must be carried
down to the bottom of the tank Er. The tank must have
a separate brick of four-and-a-half-inch work next to the
walls of the pit, which must be laid in cement, and the
division C must also be laid in cement. The bottom
of it, which should be double work, 2.e. two bricks laid
on one another, making six-inch work, should also be
laid in cement. The tank must be plastered half an
inch thick all over with good Roman cement up to the
water line B B, about six inches. The floor D D may be
of slate slabs, or stone, or large floor tiles. These can
be had of any size by order, I have no doubt ; the
size need not be extra large.

If the tank is, say, six feet out and out, deduct
eighteen inches from that for brickwork, which gives
four feet six for the tank itself, and leaves five fect three

TANK FOR CUCUMBERS AND MELONS. 8l

inches to be divided into two parts for the floor, because
the floor must butt up to the work of the pit, covering
all the work of the tank. This gives a division of two
feet seven and a half inches for each slate or tile, each
one reaching from the walls of the pit half-way on to
the division c, and lying quite close side by side, no
steam to hurt will get through. The tiles or the slates
should be from one inch to one and a half inch thick.
It is waste of money to make the floor of wood, as the

Fic. 2U.—THIRTY-FEET SECTION OF A SIXTY-FEET MELON PIT.

References to pit.—aa, ground line; BBBB, water in tank; C, brick division run-
ning the whole length, for flow and return hot water; DDD, floor on which the
soil rests for the plants.

steam soon destroys it, but the slates or tiles will last

a lifetime with care, 7.e. if not jumped on, &e.

The tanks, 2.e. one flow and one return, should be
on a level except a few feet at the cold end approaching
the boiler, which should be on a fall towards it a few
inches but not too much; the boiler is always fixed
considerably below the level of the bottom of the tank,
so that the water flows rapidly into it. Ifa very rapid
circulation of hot water is required, some fall towards
the boiler from the far end of the return tank is neces-
sary; but remember that the waste of water and the
wear and tear of the tanks is more.

G

82 THE FORCING GARDEN.

The cost of such a pit may be fairly estimated at
361. more or less, according to the distance the bricks
have to be carried and the other materials, but I have
put the highest possible figure upon everything con-
nected with this pit. I have calculated 1/. 10s. per 1,000
for the bricks, which would include the carting if not
too far from the kiln. The number of bricks required
for a pit sixty feet long and six feet wide, with single
work for the outside walls, six feet deep at the back,
four feet above ground, and two feet below the surface
all round; with five feet deep for the brickwork in
front; single bricks laid in cement for the sides of the
tank, and brick on edge laid in cement for the bottom
of the tank, will be about 7,849, perhaps a few more
or less. I have allowed 5/. for a good boiler, connec-
tions and setting—one of those tubular saddle boilers
at 3l. 16s. will answer the purpose well, and I have also
allowed 12s. per sash complete for the frame-lights,
which is ample; 5/. for floor tiles for the cover of the
tank, for the soil &c. to rest upon, and 4/. or nearly so
for labour alone, which I am sure is ample; so that it
will be found that this estimate is not much out of the
way.

Now let us see what can be done in one year with
it in a commercial way so as to pay the cost. I will
suppose that the pit is completed and dry by Sep-
tember. In the first place, it may be filled with
Rhubarb, of which it would hold 360 very strong roots,
each of which would give at the least two pounds weight
of Rhubarb, and this at 6d. per pound will be 18/. This
Rhubarb would be all over in time for a second crop of
Melons, which would be as valuable as the first crop.
Supposing that 155 fruit only were got from this whole

THE MELON PIT. 83

pit, at 3s. each = 23. 5s. for Melons; and then the pit
could be used from July until November for bringing
on flowering plants, such as Primulas, Cinerarias, &e.
without heat ; so that it is plain enough that the cost
of such a pit can be repaid by its own capacity within
one year.

G 2

CHAPTER IV.

THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY PIT.

THE Lily-of-the-valley and Christmas Rose, or Hel-
leborus, are more in request in the winter and early
spring than anything else, perhaps, among flowers. The
difficulty of getting the Lily-of-the-valley early, with
the foliage (which is in reality the beauty of a bouquet
or a button-hole) is not small, especially from fresh-
planted roots. It is next to impossible to procure the
foliage and flowers early from fresh roots, even if they
are potted as early as they can be obtained, which is
never before November, because the buds are not
matured sooner than that. If, too, the best ‘clumps’
are used, and potted as carefully as you can, and the
pots containing the roots are plunged into the best
possible bottom heat (too much of that however will
not do for these things), yet for all this flowers and
foliage at one and the same time cannot be had from
these fresh-potted roots.

There is no more stubborn plant to foree among
flowers, and the only way to succeed in getting both
flowers and foliage early is to have command over the
plantation of roots so as to get both at pleasure. To
this end I have given my view of the only method

THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY PIT. 85

likely to meet the desired object. The pit shown below
has two distinct aspects and two uses. The Lily being
stubborn in its nature to obtain early, should be planted
on the south side of this pit ; and the Helleborus, being
quite the reverse, should be planted on the north side
of it. I propose that this pit should be sixty feet long,
and five feet wide inside on each side of it, built with
four-and-a-half-inch work throughout; three feet high
at the back from the floor, h h, to the ridge, and one foot

Fic. 21.—FORTY FEET SECTION OF LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY PIT,

References to plan.—a a, ground line; B, south aspect; c, north aspect ; D, middle
wall; EE, underground chambers for heat; /7, partition walls, to be pigeon-
holed, to admit of the heat passing from chambers GG to EE; AA, slate floor.

six inches in front; the sashes made to slide as is usual,
so that they may be taken off and put by for the
summer months or used for other purposes, as the
Lilies and the Hellebores do not require them on after
May. In fact they will be much benefited by full
exposure to the influences of the rains and air all
through the summer months till November. My ob-
ject isto make permanent plantations of both the Lily-
of-the-valley and the Helleborus niger in the soil, a

86 THE FORCING GARDEN.

good bed being placed on the floor h, where the roots
may remain for years and give flowers annually at an
early season, by having one flow and one return three-
inch pipe for both pits, that is, the flow pipe to run
through the middle of the front pit close to the par-
tition wall f, which wall must be pigeon-holed so as
to admit of the heat passing to the back of the pit. No
other flooring is required beyond the clean firm ground
or gravel for the pipes to lie on. One small boiler is all
that will be needful to heat these pits, for no high
temperature is necessary in this case.

The floor on which the bed is made, and in which
the plants are set, may be made of common house-slates
of a large size and laid double. If slates of the length
required, two feet six inches, cannot be had (although
I think they can), oak plank may be used, but slates or
paving tiles, as recommended for the Melon pit, are
the best. This floor must be quite level, resting on
the chamber walls from the front to the middle, com-
ing halfway on to the middle wall; and on it the soil
must be put for the bed. This should consist of good
maiden loam one part, decayed manure one part, and
good pit or river sand one part; not sea sand, nor sand
containing mundic or any injurious minerals. The
bed should be one foot thick from the floor in front,
but more depth may be allowed at the back, thus
giving it a slope towards the front ; one foot six inches
will be ample for the depth of it at the back. ;

The soil should be chopped fine with the spade, and
for the Lilies some fine sifted soil should be placed
on the surface in which to insert the plants; but for
the Hellebores no finer than what the bed is composed of
is necessary. In the month of October the Hellebores

THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY. 87

should be planted all over the bed one foot apart every
way, if strong plants ; and the Lily-of-the-valley should
be planted as soon as they can be had, which will not
be before the middle of November for mature buds ;
and here I recommend single crowns as the best for
making the plantation.

The pit of the Lily will take about 2,700 roots, single
crowns, at four inches apart, to plant it well. These
single crowns should be all matured roots, each with
a bud that will give a spike of flower, one or more, the
first season, that is, if those are used which are required
to flower the following spring; if not, any good roots
may be used, which can be had in some localities from
our woods, but these may not flower for two or three
seasons after planting.

If the single crowns are used that are offered by
the trade growers of this plant, such as Krelage or
Roozen, of Holland, every one of them will give one or
more spikes of flower the following spring, which from
a commercial point of view is of much importance to
many men, for 3,000 spikes of flower at 16s. per hundred
would realise 24/., which would go a long way towards
paying the cost of the pit the first season. The cost of
the roots would be 5/., but you will never have to buy
again.

In planting these single crowns of the Lily, first
make the bed moderately fine, and put three or four
inches of fine sifted soil comprising a good portion of sand
and some fine leaf-mould on the top of all, and rake it
over so as to make it close and even all over the surface.
Then draw drills across it with a half-moon hoe deep
enough to let in the crowns an inch below the surface
of the bed, press the roots well into the drills, taking

88 THE FORCING GARDEN.

care not to let the fibrous roots turn upwards; and
cover each planted drill as you proceed.

Perhaps for an inexperienced hand it would be the
best plan to make the surface fine by raking, then to
place the roots all over it four inches apart, and to put
the fine sifted soil over the whole, covering the crowns
about an inch. After a day or two give the whole a
good watering with a heavy rose so as to settle the
soil well to the roots, and place the sashes on the
frame.

The Hellebores may be planted by means of the
spade. There are many varieties of this genus. The
real Niger is not so strong-growing as some others, but
it is the best, having purer flowers than the common
sort. ‘The best are the Chinensis and De Graaf alba.
As much depth of soil as the pit will admit of should
be given these, that is, nearly up to the glass in front,
with one foot six inches at the back, and the crowns
must be three or four inches below the surface ; give a
good soaking with water after all the roots are in.

Small roots may be had wholesale at 60s. per
thousand. The pit for these will take about 300 good
roots, and more if they are small. Some will say, why
plant Hellebores in frames, since they can be lifted
from the ground and forced there and then ? I admit it,
but at the same time I know that the sorts I have
named are very impatient of frequent removals, and
have to be sacrificed for some time after they are lifted
from the ground for forcing purposes, and a year or
two is thus frequently lost in regard to such roots in
this way. But if they can be gently forced where
they are perpetually growing, no loss will be sustained.

Neither this nor the Lily-of-the-valley requires

THE HELLEBORES. 89

much heat under the circumstances here referred to,
and this plan is economical in every way as regards the
roots in both cases, which will improve year by year, as
each will give more flowers as it gets older. No pots,
and therefore no time for potting, will be required,
nor half the firing to excite them. If the sashes are
taken clean off and put away or used for Cucumber or
other frames during the summer, both the classes will
mature and the better develop flowering buds than
they would if the lights were continued on.

In the beginning of November the old dead leaves
should be trimmed off, the surfaces of each cleaned,
and some little fine soil sifted over them, about half
an inch. At the end of the month commence a small
fire, but not too much ; give water if necessary, and air
too at first and on all mild days. As soon as the roots
begin to show flower, give some weak manure-water.
Sheep droppings well diluted may be given a few
times before flowering, but never too strong nor too
often. If frost appears the frames must be covered at
night, but not by cay if it can be avoided, and in no
case allow the heat to get up too strong at night.
After a season or two many hundreds of the Christmas
Rose may be cut from such a bed, which will always
sell readily at a good price.

THE COST OF CONSTRUCTING THE PIT.

When a thing of some interest and profit strikes
anyone as this idea may do, the next thing is the ques-
tion, ‘ What will it cost?’ And as an answer, the
following estimate will be found very near the
mark :—

90 THE FORCING GARDEN.

£ ss @
For bricks, mortar, and mason’s work, and thirty

sashes glazed and painted with three coats complete 25 9 6
For boiler: 120 feet three-inch pipe ; four elbows

India-rubber rings for fitting the pipes; cistern ;

furnace door and frame ; furnace bars ; damper and

frame, bricks and mortar, and fixing boiler . > Oe 6

Total : : £35 7 0

I have all the particulars of this estimate by me.

Here, then, is a large and roomy pit at a cheap
rate, considering all things, being ten feet wide and sixty
feet long, which is equal in capacity and in efficiency
to any good-sized forcing house at half the usual cost.

CHAPTER V.

THE ROSE FORCING HOUSE.

It is a well-known and established fact among good
floriculturists that it is highly advantageous and
effective to devote a whole house, whether it be large
or small, to a single class, especially in forcing. There
is;no doubt some peculiarity belonging to every genus
of plants that requires, in a measure, some distinct
treatment, under which the class will do much better
than when it is treated only partially. The treatment
necessary to the proper development of its character
can thus be better carried out, and in no case is it more
necessary than in the forcing of Roses.

The Rose may be forced with other plants, it is true,
but there is no class that requires more individual
attention daily than this flower, which when so treated
with other plants seldom gets what is absolutely
necessary for its proper cultivation, and this from
various causes. Light, heat, and moisture are the
chief elements required in forcing the Rose. The term
‘forcing’ may be modified considerably, and some
wider range allowed for what is commonly understood
by the term by some persons ; but in this case it refers
to the cultivation of flowers for cutting by February,
March, and April.

92 THE FORCING GARDEN.

Some classes of the Rose are much easier to force
than others. The Chinas are among these, for they
are easy to excite. The Hybrid China, Moss, Gallica,
with some exceptions, are more difficult to force well
than the former or the Perpetuals and Hybrid Per-

Fic. 22.SECTION OF A SIXTY-FEET ROSE-FORCING AND CUCUMBER HOUSE.

Fourteen feet wide, four feet high from ground to eaves, ten feet high to the ridge.
To be double-glazed on my plan, without putty.

References to house.—a, top ventilators, made to open by rack gearing; B, a set of
sliding shutters, two feet by one, along the south side. These work by my cords
and pulleys (see figs. 2 and 3).

cy

HH AOS

END SECTION OF HOUSE.

References.—c ¢, pit, four feet wide, four feet deep; DD, hot-water pipes; e, gearing
to open lights, a; 7, ground line,

Cost of this house about 541. 10s.

petuals. The object in view must be the chief and
fixed rule in this treatment of Roses,

Early Roses may be had by a very simple means,
but for commercial purposes some method of doing the
thing more to the purpose must be resorted to. I am

THE ROSE FORCING HOUSE. 93

convinced that there is already an abundance of these
commercial forcing houses for all classes of plants as
well as for Roses, which might be my excuse for not
giving an illustration of what I consider a useful and
economical house for the purpose. If the reader refers
to most builders’ lists of prices for the erection of such
a place, he or she will find that my estimate for the
same class of house is fully 50 per cent. below theirs.
Considering all the advantages connected with the
effectual forcing of very early Roses, there can be
no better constructed house than one like the
Cucumber house. This is capable of holding a great
number of large-sized pots, It is sixty feet long, four-
teen feet wide, with other good proportions for trade
purposes. The pits ¢ ¢ may either be retained or dis-
pensed with, but in my opinion the retention of them,
filled with leaves and tan, will be most beneficial in
Rose forcing.

Roses will force without bottom heat very well,
but they do much better plunged in fermenting
materials where a moist temperature can be maintained.
It will be found that under such circumstances a more
healthy and robust state of the foliage and flower buds
will ensue. This house will hold 500 large Roses in
nine-inch pots, and capable of giving at the least twenty-
five good cut flowers; that would be 12,500 at say 3s.
per dozen—ll. 5s. per 100=156l. 5s. for cut Roses
from this house from the month of February till the
end of April. They may then all be removed from
the house and set outside in a sheltered spot and pro-
tected from the cold cutting winds by placing mats
over them at night for a week or two.

Previous to their removal, cool down the tempera-

94 THE FORCING GARDEN.

ture by discontinuing the heat, and by an abundance of
air for a week beforehand. Not that Roses are tender,
but they may then be used again next year for the
same purpose, if not too severely checked by the
sudden change of temperature when shifted from the
forcing house into the open air. These Roses should
be shifted from the pots, or at least turned out and the
soil partly shaken out of the roots, and then be re-
potted, using a good and entirely fresh compost. This
may be done in the month of May, when they may be
cut back and well watered, and then plunged in saw-
dust, cinder-ashes, or old tan (not fresh tan). Each
pot should be set upon a piece of slate to prevent the
ingress of worms. The situation for plunging them
must be a full sunny one, where they may remain for the
summer, when, if kept well supplied with water, with two
or three good waterings with liquid manure, a good and
vigorous growth will be made for giving flowers the
next season. Three or four good strong shoots should
be allowed to develop themselves well through the
summer, as this is far better than a lot of spray and
weak stuff. Cut such out and induce a few strong
shoots to make good growth, and when November
comes round again they may be lifted from this plung-
ing, the pots cleaned off a bit, the drainage looked to,
and be taken into the house, but no heat applied at
first.

The pruning of these forcing Roses may be done
soon after they are placed in the house, but it requires
some care, and concerning which I have treated par-
ticularly in my ‘ Fruit Tree and Shrub Pruner.’ But
for the sake of those who may not care to refer further
than to this work for information on this matter, I

PRUNING ROSES. 95

merely say that those Roses which make long and
flexible shoots may be pruned in less closely, and those
that make less growth must be cut in closer, such as
the old Coupe d’Hébé, Chénedolé, Céline, &c.; which
are Hybrid Chinas, strong growers, and are samples of
those which must not be pruned in too much; but the
Hybrid Perpetuals, Chinas, Tea Chinas, and Gallicas
or French Roses, may be cut in much closer.

Now some will perhaps ridicule the idea of my refer-
ring to such old Roses as the above, and ask, Why
not mention some newer sorts? To this I may fairly
answer, Because I am convinced that the old are
better. I know that it is one thing to fancy that all
new things are best because they are new, but it is
quite another thing to prove this and also to find it so
by comparison. I am quite convinced that none of
the new Roses can excel, if they can equal, the Coupe
d’Hébé, Chénedolé, Brennus, William ‘Jesse, the old
Crested Provence, &c. All of these are strong and
vigorous growers and must not be pruned much, except
the last, which may be pruned moderately. But if such
as the first four are pruned or cut back too much, no
flowers will be obtained. ‘Too much!’ some will ex-
claim, ‘ What is too much?’ Well, these Roses must
not be cut in closer than from nine inches to one foot six
inches within the base of the new wood, and some, such
as the Brennus, Chénedolé, &c., must be pruned but
little, indeed, merely taking a few inches off the points
of the strong shoots will be enough.

It is safer not to prune some Roses at all than to
prune them too severely. Maréchal Niel, for instance,
although we know it to be a fast-growing climber, will
not bear severe pruning, and flowers of this class must

96 THE FORCING GARDEN.

never be cut back, but merely thinned out, leaving the
wood for flowering at full length. The same thing
applies to such as Chénedolé, the Beauty of Billiard,
Brennus, &ec., besides many of the newer sorts of strong
growth.

Pruning must not be deferred long after Roses are
placed in a warmer atmosphere. The drainage must
be good and free. Plunge the pots quite up to the
rims. If they are dry, give water freely. If the heat
is not too much, the bottom heat should never exceed
60°. The fermenting material should be put into the
pits several weeks before the Roses are introduced into
the house, so that the heat may not be in advance, but
slightly on the decline. If still at too high a pitch,
set the pots on the top of the bed instead of plunging
them.

As the Roses begin to show signs of breaking leaf,
give them some weak liquid manure. This may con-
sist of one ounce of guano to one gallon of soft tepid
water. This will induce a rapid development of the
buds and give fine flowers. As the leaf and flower
buds appear the aphides may appear also. No time
should be lost when these show themselves, but fumi-
gation must be resorted to at once. Syringing every
day must also be attended to. This should be done
every morning from nine to eleven o’clock. It helps
the development of the leaf and bud.

It will not be necessary during the months of-
December, January, and February to give any air at all
to the Roses. They will do well without it under this
early forcing ; but it will be necessary to admit some
at the top of the house after the middle of March to
keep down the temperature, which will get too high

FORCING ROSES. Q7

during clear days. The fire should be lowered and
shut off in the morning during very bright and _ pro-
mising sunny days in March, merely just keeping it in,
and at three P.M. pull out the damper and stir up the
fire, but the heat should not be allowed to rise too high
during the night, merely enough to secure progress at
a low temperature, say 40° or 45°. The heat of the
house during the day may be maintained at 70° or 75°.

In my opinion there is no branch of forcing that
will better repay the trouble and expense than a house
devoted solely to the production of Moss Roses for the
market. All these are especial favourites with the fair
sex; and I ask, what can be more beautiful than the
half-open bud of a moss rose, with its curious calyx
half enveloping the beautiful pink, white, or crimson
bud, forming as it were love in a shrine? and of these
none deserves more attention than the Crested Pro-
vence. This is a rose not generally known; I am con-
vinced, however, that it needs only to be known to be
properly appreciated. There is, I think, a mistaken
idea about this flower. Some regard it as a moss
rose, but I am convinced it is not a true moss, but
a Provence, for it bears all the characteristics of -
that species; on some occasions it will be entirely
destitute of moss, and then no one can distinguish it
from a true Provence rose. The large foliage and the
growth exactly coincide with this kind. Nothing
among roses can equal a half-open bud of this class,
with its extraordinary and long, mossy-pointed calyx
enveloping the lovely pink bud.

To succeed well with this rose, grow it strong, and
prune it but very moderately, merely taking a few
inches off the points of the last season’s growth; or, if

H

O8 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the wood made the last season is two feet long, six inches
may be cut off the points, and an abundance of flowers
will be the result. Moss roses may, as a rule, be
pruned very close. It is better to select a good many
of each sort than to have a great variety for forcing,
and I am quite convinced that for cut flowers itis much
better to select them from old, well-known prolific sorts,
than to have some of the more shy-flowered among
the newer kinds. Many of the delicate Tea roses are
very beautiful, but too shy of flower for forcing for the
sake of profit.

In packing cut flowers for market, every bud should
be wrapped in tissue-paper, slightly twisting the paper
carefully round it so as to hold it a little firm, in order
to keen it from the air and further development.

CHAPTER VI.

THE CAMELLIA HOUSE.

Tuts house is on a scale of one-sixteenth of an inch to
one foot,! so that it is very easy to construct, and will
cost but little. It is necessary that a camellia house
should run north and south, and thus avoid the strong
rays of the sun, as this flower will not bear the full
power of the sun. It will lose its colour in the foliage

Fic. 23.—CAMELLIA HOUSE,

Reference to house.—N, north; s, south; aaaaaaa, sliding sashes; B, set of
— pee cane eae made to open by cords and rack gearing. The walls to
when fully exposed to the sun; for this reason the
house in which Camellias are grown should face the
west or north-west if only one roof; but for trade
purposes, as for cut flowers, I recommend a span roof—
one facing east and the other west. Such a house
should be glazed with bars not further apart than 12
inches and 14 thick by 44 wide, z.e. 13+ 44 rafters;
1 This house is 40 feet long; 22 feet wide: 7 feet high at eaves.
H 2

100 THE FORCING GARDEN.

good single clip glazing will answer well (see figs. 7, 8,
and 9), omitting the under glazing, although I would
even recommend double glazing for them as a safe-
guard against frost, and more economical as regards
firing during the winter. Whenever a house for
Camellias alone has to be unavoidably built facing the
south with one roof only, 7.¢. a lean-to, it should be made
pretty flat and glazed with green glass. In this case
the bars may be 18 inches apart. If green glass can-
not be had, I advise that a thin transparent green
paint be used for a permanency ; for I find that plants
do much better under green glass during the summer
than under clear white glass: especially is this the
case with Camellias. When, however, a house for these
can be built with a span roof running north and south
they will do much better than in a lean-to house.

This house is 14 feet high in the centre, and 7 feet
high at the eaves, with 3 feet of glass sashes and 4 feet
of brickwork: this gives abundance of head room and
elevation enough for large plants all round; 22 feet in
width will give plenty of room for a row of pots next
the walls all round where one flow and return 4-inch
pipe should be placed. A double flow and return pipe
will be necessary for a house of this capacity in the
northern counties ; but one flow and return once round
the house will be enough for the western counties.
If, however, double glazing is adopted, one flow and
return pipe will answer for the colder counties, and
none at al will be required in the western counties.
The pipes should run round close to the walls of the
house ; but if a row of plants are planted out into a good
peat border next the walls, where they would do well,
and nailed on them, they would form a pretty feature,

THE CAMELLIA HOUSE. 101

and bear abundantly: then the pipes for heating must
be inthe pathway in front of the plants. Ifthe middle
of the house is permanently planted out, considerable
preparation must be made; which must consist of a
deep bed of coarse peat at the bottom, to forma stratum
of good soil and drainage. Then, on the top of this,
put two feet of maiden loam and pure sandy peat, two
parts of thelatter to one of the former; these should make
up the bed to what is wanted, which should be fully
one foot above the original level or the pathway in the
house. The bed should be made as firm as possible as
the compost is put in, by chopping it to pieces with the
spade, mixing turf and soil together and treading it
in well, and then it will sink considerably.

The planting of the Camellias should be done as soon
as the plants have done flowering, when they shouldbe
kept close for a few weeks and a little heat put on to
excite them a little, so as to induce some growth, and as
soon as afew inches are made, discontinue the fire heat,
but keep the house closed till the terminal bud is as
large as a white pea, when it should be opened night
and day throughout the summer until the end of
November, frequently syringing the whole of the plants
overhead through the summer to keep them clean.
When Camellias are planted in the beds instead of being
grown in pots, they naturally grow faster for some years
to come, and ultimately become too large for the house,
and then it must be made higher: this is both expensive
and troublesome. Now there is no real occasion for this
extra expense. The Camellia will bear the knife well,
but I admit that some small loss is incurred by cutting
back too severely, but if the cutting back of overgrown
plants is judiciously done, no great loss will be sustained.

102 THE FORCING GARDEN,

The loss referred to is in the flowers for a season,
but as the Camellia is such an abundant bearer of flowers
(which are frequently three-fourths too numerous on a
plant) that they have to be thinned out to get fine
specimens, no real loss is sustained by partially cutting
back some of the leading branches, if the minor ones
are left to flower and fill up. So that by this annual
or biennial cutting back of some of the plants they will
never get too large for the house; and instead of run-
ning up to head, and becoming barren of foliage, and
of course of flower, they will maintain a well-clothed
appearance down to the ground.

A house of the size of the above, will take forty-
eight good strong plants for the middle bed, which may
be 15 feet wide, taking four rows of plants at a distance
of 3 feet apart each way ; the pathways will be 3 feet
wide, with a border of 2 feet next the walls, all round
the house. The walls will take about forty plants to
cover them, ultimately; thus eighty-eight will be re-
quired to fill such a house at a moderate calculation.
These may consist of any desirable sorts, which will
cost in good strong plants, at trade prices, 251. to 301.
per 100—well set with flower buds if obtained in the
autumn, about October, when they may be planted; or,
if deferred till after the flower, and then planted as I
have said, which is perhaps the safest, plants of the
same size may be had for a lower price. And, if I may
be permitted to recommend where to get them both
good and cheap, I should say of John Standish & Co.,
of the Royal Nurseries, Ascot, Berkshire, or of Charles
Turner of Slough.

The Camellia, for cut flowers, may be grown in large
pots. Pots 15 inches in diameter will do for them for

THE CAMELLIA HOUSE. 103

many years; I have grown very fine healthy specimens
seven to nine feet high, in 13-inch pots, for seven years
successively, by giving them some liquid manure once
a week, containing half-an-ounce of guano to one gallon
of water,—not more must be given. The advantages
of growing the Camellia in pots or tubs are that they
can be removed from the house, after the flower buds
are formed, to a sheltered spot on the north side of a
high wall or hedge, where little or no sun can come to
them during the summer. I have found this an ex-
cellent method for this flower, especially when they are
obliged to be grown in a clear glass south-house ; under
such cireumstances the poor Camellias suffer much.
The foliage loses its natural, deep glossy green, and the
flower buds open prematurely.

There is but one time in the whole season when the
Camellia will bear a forcing temperature, and that is
immediately after it has flowered, tillthe buds are formed,
as I have previously said. All that is required for it at
other times is merely to ward off protracted frosts.
For the propagation of it, I beg to refer the reader to
my ‘Tree Planter and Plant Propagator.’

As a commercial affair, 1 know of few things that
will better repay the trouble and outlay than a house
of permanent Camellias for cut flowers. We will sup-
pose, for instance, that such a house will take close upon
one hundred plants to stock it, and that these will each
average ten flowers the first season after planting, at
only 10s. per dozen. That would give more than 40/.
worth the first year; and without any other expense
except a little fuel and time. Each plant will progress
in productiveness year by year, for, say, as long as a
man is likely to live, beginning when he is a young

104 THE FORCING GARDEN.

man. Some may say, it is a fine calculation as regards
figures.. So itis, 1 admit; but when I calculate, I do
so from my own knowledge and judgment.

The cost of constructing the camellia house may be
estimated as below :—

oe Ws
Eighty-four rafters, thirteen feet long, four and
a half inches by one and a half . d
Two hundred and four feet sill and eaves aie
Forty feet ridge board, four and a half inches 3
one andahalf . : : .
One hundred and forty-six feet run, one na a
half inches by one and a half, for and
making them
One hundred and forty-one Ge run, one ao a
half inch by one and a half, for fixed sash bars
in sides
Fifty-six feet run, one a a hake pees ee one
and a half, for fixed sash, for gable end
Stuff, and making fourteen sash ventilators at
top ; :
One ead fisbe: ana pole ‘ ; ‘
One thousand three hundred and a oe
twenty-one-ounce glass, twenty inches by
twelve, and carriage . ; ‘
Seven hundred and thirty-six jae for elaang :
All the glazing
Six thousand three heneea ee oo bricks
and carriage ‘ : : ° ° .
Masons’ work, and oes : : - . . 43-255
Heating apparatus and fixing : 5 . js Re
£73 3 6

By comparison this estimate, although of the best
materials and workmanship, is considerably less than
50 per cent. of the usual prices for building such a
house. Many will have some doubt about the work-
manship, and ask how it can be done? ButI am fully
prepared to show how it is to be done.

CHAPTER VII.

THE FERN HOUSE.

THE Ferns are amongst our most favoured foliaged
plants, and well deserve to be such esteemed favourites,
for they are not like other classes of plants, most of
which have a season of display, and then relapse into a
state of comparative disinterest ; but the family of ferns
as a tribe maintain an interest which never flags: this
arises from their beautiful form and evergreen character.
Let a class of plants be what it may as regards beauty
while in foliage and flower, the day that it ceases
flowering and loses its foliage it is looked upon (by an
amateur at least) as a thing of the past; but it is never
so with the family of Ferns.

Since, then, ferns are so eagerly sought after, and
appreciated by everybody, I am at a loss to discover a
sufficient reason why we find so few glass-houses devoted
entirely to the culture of this tribe, for there is no class
of plants so easy to grow; although I know some per-
sons do not succeed very well with them. In the first
place glass-houses for growing them frequently are not
situated where they should be ; and secondly, they are
not glazed with proper glass for the situation the house
occupies. I recommend that at all times a house, en-
tirely devoted to the growing of ferns, should be con-
structed so as to face the north or west, or north-east,

106 THE FORCING GARDEN.

but never to face full south. Let amateurs and young
gardeners take a walk along some lane or by-road where
Ferns grow naturally, and they will no doubt see them
on both sides of the lane, growing on the banks; one
side may be facing the sun all day, the other will be
facing the north, where no sun cancome tothem. Now
just observe the difference of colour in the same species!
Those growing where the sun plays upon them are
stunted and brown ; the others on the opposite side are
so far different in character and colour that one is ready
to conclude that the same varieties are two different
species. Now this should be a lesson in the culture of
all Ferns, whether hardy or not. I have always found
that when Ferns under glass are much exposed toa
strong light,they are of aless deep green in colour than
when shaded.

The Fern tribe may be partly compared to the Heath
family in the matter of water. If a Heath gets
thoroughly dry through the ball, nothing can save that
plant from death; but it is not quite the same with the
Fern, for if one of the latter gets thoroughly dry a few
times, it is ten to one if it lives; certainly the present
Fronds will die off, and perhaps the root too. Ferns
luxuriate in a brisk moist heat ; but they may be grown
without much heat—I mean the greenhouse sorts—but
itis necessary to be provided with some means of heating
the house, to ward off frosts.

When a fernery is to be built, if it must be facing
the south, which sometimes cannot be avoided in the
case of amateurs, the top of the house should be double
glazed, the top or outside layer of glass being of a pale
green colour, and the under layer being of white glass.
I recommend double glazing, because then, amateurs

THE FERN HOUSE. 107

can grow Ferns well, witbout much fire-heat, or none at
all during the summer. It looks expensive to double
glaze, but I am prepared to show that, on my plan of
‘double glazing,’ it is no more so than single glazing
as a rule.

A fernery needs very little or no ventilation, except
when it is built facing the sun: then some top ventila-
tion is necessary for the summer, but none from Sep-
tember till April. Ifthe roof is double glazed with clips
on the fixed vertical bar, and with green glass or the
top painted with semi-transparent paint laid on with a
large brush, very little trouble will arise in growing Ferns
successfully. They will, under these circumstances,
- maintain a very even character, being attended by a
constant and equal temperature, which is the very thing
forthem. During the winter months a few cinders or a
little coke should be put into a proper stove to keep
up a healthy temperature, when the most delicate classes
may be grown successfully. If the fernery has to be
built facing the south, be careful not to have the angle
of the roof of too sharp a pitch: an angle of 30° is
quite enough for such an aspect, but for a northern or
north-western one, an angle of 32° may be adopted, as
no sun can then get at the plants to affect them. If the
fernery is facing the north, it may be double glazed with
Belgium green glass or with common white, but it will
be found that they will do much better under green
glass than under white.

It is necessary for trade purposes to stimulate ferns
as much as possible to keep up successional fronds for
cutting or for plants to supply customers. To do this,
different departments connected with Fern culture are
required ; one not too hot, for large specimens from

108 THE FORCING GARDEN.

which fronds may be cut; one for their propagation by
seed and by division ; and another for bringing on the
specimens or the young plants for sale. The house for
seedlings &c. (which should be partially under ground)
must always be kept close with a good moist heat ; that
for bringing them on for specimens and for sale should
be kept ciose with a moderate heat ; and the one for the
well-developed specimens may be kept moderately
moist with ventilation at the top of the house, but none
at the sides. By this arrangement the plants will be
so far hardened that neither the cut fronds for bouquets,
nor the plants for decoration or sale, will suffer somuch
as they often do from the fact of their being taken
straight from a high temperature and exposed to a very
low one. The invariable consequence is either death,
or what is as bad, a loss of all the points of future
beauty.

The soil most suitable for Ferns is, no doubt, one
composed of two parts fine sandy peat and one part good
tender maiden loam, the latter not made too fine, but
chopped up with the spade turf and all and well mixed
with the peat. The drainage for large pots must be
well secured by first placing some good-sized crocks
over the bottoms of them, and on these a good layer of
smaller shreds, and then some siftings of the peat.
The old fronds should be cut out to make room for
the new ones, and an abundance of soft and tepid water
must be given to all Ferns when growing, and that is
always when they are in a moist heat, especially the
maiden-hair class. There are, however, a few excep-
tionstothisrule. There is what is called the Elkshorn,
or Alcicorne, or Platyceriwm Alcicorne ; some call it
Stagshorn: it belongs to the Polypodiwms. This Fern

THE FERN HOUSE. 109

is certainly a curiosity: it neither requires soil nor
water to grow in, but merely to be fastened upon a block
of rustic wood, or it may be placed in a basket or
seed-pan or pot. If grown in the first-named way, it
should have a little moss and be tacked on to the
block, or the pan or pot may be filled up tight with
moss, and the plant tied on, and then suspended by
a wire from the roof of the fernery or green-house,
where it will grow for many years without any further
trouble. This plant rather differs from the Polypody
vulgare which we find growing so plentifully upon
wood along the road sides, and which seems to draw
its nourishment from the branch to which it adheres,
while the Alcicorne lives upon its own natural resources.
The Wall Rue or Asplenium Ruta-Muraria and
Ceterach, which grow upon dry walls, are of this self-
sustaining class, but there are none that seem capable
of this so much as the first-named.

To be successful in propagating Ferns, the house
should be close, low and warm, having the walls
lined with turfy peat-sods, the under side of which
should be placed outermost and kept up either by long
hook nails, or wall hooks, or by bars of wood fastened
with hooks to the wall. Some moss may be stuffed
between the joints of the sods, which will retain
moisture and serve as receptacles for seed, which may
be sown all over these sod-lined walls. The seed should
be first well soaked with water by syringing, and then
sown all over the walls and never disturbed afterwards.
Neither should they be heavily syringed, for this would
wash the seed off. Peat sods may also be placed under
the seeding fronds which will catch the seed as it falls.

To be successful in raising new sorts, gather the

110 THE FORCING GARDEN.

seed of the different species and put it into a fine paper
packet, sealed quite close, and put this packet into your
waistcoat pocket and carry itthere fora month. Then
sow it in seed pans filled with rough peat, well watered
before sowing; and after it is sown place a bell glass
over it and keep the pans in a shady place in the warm
house. Fern seed soon germinates.

The most desirable sorts are the Adiantums, which
genus includes the Maiden-hairs :—the Farleyense, A.
cuneatum, Formosum, Concinnum, Gracillinum, a most
delicate Fern, and Trapeziforme, a splendid foliaged
kind. Onoclea sensibilis, another very handsome light
green and fine bold foliaged sort; Petris serrulata, and
P. crestata, Gymnogramma chrysophilla, the Golden
Fern, and the Parsley Fern are all very beautiful and
handsome varieties.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE PINK AND CARNATION FORCING HOUSE.

FRoM a commercial point of view these flowers are
not much understood as a lucrative class for forcing.

Fig. 24.—SECTION OF A SIXTY-FEET SPAN-ROOF CARNATION HOUSE,
EIGHTEEN FEET WIDE.

Reference to plan.—aaaa, top ventilators; BBB, sliding sashes; ecccc, zinc
shutters, made to lift up and down in runs for the admission of air, when the
sashes, ‘B,’ cannot be opened; DD, staging all round the house, two feet three
inches wide, to hold three rows of carnations; E, the centre stand, showing how
the fixed troughs are made for the plants, nine inches wide and seven inches deep;
F, hot-water pipes; G, pathway.

END SECTION OF HOUSE.

Nor do many seem to succeed well with them. I at-
tribute failure chiefly to one cause: like most other

Lie THE FORCING GARDEN.

plants that are intended for forcing, they must be pre-
pared for some time previously, and perhaps upon the
whole, Pinks and Carnations require more of this
preliminary preparation than any other class. A failure
can scarcely arise if proper steps are taken to fit the
plants to the work, nor is there anything that will better
repay the trouble; for a strong and well developed
Pink or Carnation will give an abundance of fine flowers
which may fetch from 2s. to 4s. per dozen, in the
months of March and April.

Now I will suppose a house capable of holding 2,000
plants, and that each of these will give, say only 10
good flowers; this, however, is a low calculation, nume-
rically speaking ; but to make sure, we will say 10 good
flowers to each plant, these at 3d. each (the lowest
price): 20,000 flowers at 11. 5s. per 100=1251. per
10,000 ; double this sum and we have the net sum of
2501. for Pink and Carnation flowers from this house.
Now some will say, ‘ It is easy to calculate, but can you
doit?’ Well, I will see presently, but I beg to remind
the reader that this, like making 620/. from one acre
of land, is not to be done by putting down figures, nor
by talking about it, and glorying over the results by
anticipation, nor without some trouble, good judgment
and expense too. Those who dream of getting 20,000
flowers, and 250/. cash, must not deviate one step from
the royal road to such success ; and I would advise no
one to calculate upon such results, except they first
count the cost, or rather make up their mind whether
they can or will do as I should do; men frequently
reckon upon great results without lawfully striving to
obtain them; others censure an idea which is to all
intents and purposes quite practicable, and condemn

THE PINK AND CARNATION ‘HOUSE Bis

the idea with a ‘ pooh,’ simply because they have never
tried it, or never allowed their minds to think about it.

The first thing to do is to get a stock of suitable
Pinks and Carnations, and the next thing is to know
how and when to propagate them. This is simple
enough if those who undertake the matter do but begin
at the proper place and persevere to the end. I will
suppose that a man wishes to produce 2,000 Pink and
Carnation plants for forcing, and such as will not dis-
appoint him in the results. How many stock plants
must he get at once to do this in one season? and
when must he get them? are the most important
questions. If he wishes to possess 1,000 plants fit for
forcing of each class, he must buy them in the month
of September: 50 or 60 well-established, early-struck
Pinks of the sorts recommended, and 150 old but good
plants of the Carnation. The last season pipings, or
layers, may be used, but unless the last of these are
very strong, they will not do. These must be two-year-
old plants in pots and of a good stocky character, for
the Carnation will not yield so many pipings as the
Pink per plant, at the same age. The 50 or 60 Pinks,
if good and early-struck stuff, will do; but the Carna-
tions will not, unless they are healthy and stocky.

Now we may suppose that we have the plants at
nome, and in good pots, all growing. Place them in a
mild heat, in a pit or house; continue to encourage
them to grow, and as soon as a batch of good pipings
can be had, take them off with three or four joints, and
prepare each in the usual manner; then, having a lot
of deep seed-pans ready—square ones are the best for
economising the room, but the former are necessary to
get depth enough—previous to preparing the pipings,

I

114 THE FORCING GARDEN.

fill a dozen or two of the pans with a compost of one
part maiden loam sifted fine through a quarter or three-
eighths of an inch mesh sieve, two parts fine-sifted leaf-
mould, and one part silver sand, well mixed together.
First, place a few crocks over the holes in the bottom
of the pans, then a little of the siftings over them, and
finally fill up to the rims, making it quite firm; then
prepare the pipings in the usual way by cutting the
base of the third or fourth joint at right angles im-
mediately below the joint, but not into it, so as to leave
one-sixteenth of an inch below it. Cut with a razor-
edged small knife—a penknife will do very well. As
soon as enough are made to fill one pan, insert the
pipings with a small pointed stick not larger than a
lead pencil, at one inch apart all over the pans; and
give a thorough soaking with water through a fine rose.
Then place the pans, as they are filled, on a mild bottom
heat, over a tank or heated pit, and keep the house or
pit close till the pipings are struck, which will be with-
in three weeks with the Pinks, and a month with the
Carnations.

As soon as they are well struck give them air, or
place the pans containing the plants in a cooler house
or pit, to harden off a little, say for a week. Then
prick them off into other pans or boxes, about two inches
apart, water, and return them to the house or a warm
pit with a good light. As the plants get strength and
begin to grow, nip out the central point ; this will in-
duce a bushy growth. It will now be about the end of
March or beginning of April: so admit an abundance
of air daily, and by the beginning of May the plants will
all be in good order for planting out. Now choose a
nice mellow spot of ground in an open sunny place ;

PINKS AND CARNATIONS. 115

manure it well, and dig it, breaking it fine, and mix
the manure thoroughly with the soil; and just here I
would say that there is no manure which suits Pinks
and Carnations so well as horse droppings from the
roads, swept up with some sand. Put the manure on
pretty thick: six barrowfuls to one perch, or about thirty
square yards, is not too much. It will take about six
square perches of ground to hold 2,000 plants, includ-
ing the paths, &c., at ten inches apart. The ground
should be manured and dug in the month of March,
then it will get well pulverised, and when a nice shower
of rain comes about the end of April, it will be in first-
class order for the young plants. Strike the ground
out into four-feet beds, work over the surface with a
hoe, and then rake it over with a coarse rake, and put
out the plants with a trowel, letting them down into
the soil quite up to the leaves; and when a bed is
planted, give it a good soaking with water to settle the
soil well to the plants.

As the plants advance in growth, nip out every young
shoot to induce a bushy habit ; and when September
comes they will be, or should be, large and fine plants,
of the size of a cheese plate, compact and full of young
stuff that will give flowering stems; but none of these
must be allowed to remain on the plants that spring up
from them while in the beds; if any do come, nip them
off at once as soon as they appear.

About the end of September the plants may be
zarefully lifted with a large trowel, having a good ball
of earth to each plant. To make sure of doing this
properly, before taking them up give each bed a heavy
soaking with water the previous evening. As each one
is lifted, place it in a plant-barrow direct, and when it

12

116 THE FORCING GARDEN,

is full, carry them to the house where they are to flower,
and place them in their flowering quarters. Now comes
the most economical method of doing this. Some per-
sons force them in pots, but they never do so well as
when bedded in boxes made on purpose ; besides they
are more troublesome to pot than to bed, and do not
take so much room as when grown in pots. These
boxes may be permanent, for they may be made out of
the stage or stand—that is, the staging in the house
may be made into troughs instead of open work, each
step or shelf being a long box or trough, nine inches
wide and seven inches deep; or separate and portable
boxes, of the same width and depth, may be used.
Place each plant, as you take it from the barrow, in its
place at once, without changing and shifting, as the
less they are moved about, the less danger there is of
losing the soil from the balls. The plants may be
placed as close as they can be, or nearly so, filling up
the spaces around each, as you proceed, with fine soil
like that used for striking the pipings, and fitting it in
firmly, filling up also to the top of each trough or box.
When all are in, give them a good watering ; shade the
house for a short time at first, till the plants get estab-
lished, frequently syringing them overhead. Some
air must be admitted to dry them off, or some of the
foliage of the Pinks, being thick, will probably rot off.
Keep up a heat of 55° or 60°, admitting air during
October, and on the mild days in November. When
air cannot be given them by opening the front lights,
draw up the zine shutters ¢, which will admit it without
lowering the temperature, as the air will, in this way,
come into immediate contact with the hot-water pipes.
Keep up the temperature, give plenty of water, and

PINKS AND CARNATIONS. 117

once a week some liquid manure; and you will not be
disappointed as regards the results.

The ordinary way and time for striking pipings, or
making layers, of the Carnation and Pink will not do
for forcing plants the same season, as two years are re-
quired to make plants like those I now describe; and
then such plants must not be allowed to flower, for they
will not be such good ones as those struck and pushed
on as these are.

There are many sorts of Pinks and Carnations that
may be used for forcing, but the following seem to be
the best of the Pinks—the old Anne Boleyn, Coccinea,
Lady Blanche, Lord Lyons, Paddington, Mrs. Pettifeer,
and a variety besides; and of the Carnations—Miss
Jolliffe, La Zouave, Covent Garden Scarlet, Valhant,
White Nun, Rosy Morn, Mercury, &e. Almost any free-
flowering Pink and Carnation may be forced; but those
that are shy of flower, and that grow long and thin in
the grass, are not fit for this purpose; but any of the
kind that opens freely, and without bursting the
pod, may be used for forcing. Mr. Charles Turner
of Slough is the most likely man to get a good selec-
tion from, for this purpose. Get the stocks as early
as they can be had, which I think I have said is in
September.

The house I recommend is the sixty feet span; eigh-
teen feet wide, twelve feet high at the ridge, and five
feet high in front, as the illustration shows, heated
with four-inch pipe, and one of those inexpensive saddle
boilers before referred to. The whole cost of such a
house may be estimated at 421. 18s., as follows (with-
out the heating and the staging, for which 35/. more
must be added) :-—

118 THE FORCING GARDEN,
Eighty-two rafters, twelve feet long, four and a half inches by:
one and a half.

Sixty feet ridge board, four and a half inches by one and a
half.

Two hundred and forty feet eaves and sill plate, two inches
by four and a half.

Four hundred and twenty-four feet sash bars, for ends and
fronts.

One good door, lock, and key.

Two thousand feet twenty-one-ounce glass, eighteen inches by
twelve, and carriage for two hundred miles.

Eight hundred and eighty glazing clips, and glazing.

One thousand seven hundred and nineteen stock bricks, at
1/7. 10s. per thousand, and carriage for five miles.

Masons’ work, mortar, &c.

Painting and paint.

Fourteen zinc shutters and frames.

Six set of gearing for top ventilators, in all £42 18s.

Add 251. for a boiler and connections, and 101. for staging.

Total, for house sixty feet long by eighteen feet wide, five feet
high in front, twelve feet high to ridge, £77 18s.

All the materials and work to be good: this is less than
half the usual cost for such a house.

Now if such a place were built and ready by August,
and the stock of Pinks and Carnations purchased by the
end of September, and put to work, the profits arising
from the sale of the flowers would pay for the building
of the house, and then leave a handsome surplus for
the trouble. The cost of the stock depends upon the
kind and strength of the plants; but good sorts and
good plants can be had in Pinks at 18s. per dozen,
and in Carnations at 2/. per dozen ; less by the hundred,
and in the trade; but it is useless to think about ob-
taining a number of plants, fit for forcing, and capable
of giving the requisite quantity of flowers, unless these
steps are taken.

The house illustrated above wiil hold 2,000 plants,

PINKS AND CARNATIONS. 119

as I have said, bedding them into the troughs made as
fixtures, which, if constructed of good three-quarter-
inch yellow deal, will last for many years; sothat there
will be no expense as regards pots,

CHAPTER IX.

THE GERANIUM HOUSE.

THE cultivation of Fancy Pelargoniums is so well known
and appreciated, that but few remarks are necessary to
bring it into favour, or to induce most people to com-
mence growing them for the purpose of sale. But as
there may be some who never tried what can be done
by cultivating this popular flower, I may be excused for
making a few observations about it.

There are many classes of this tribe, but none
scarcely comparable to the large-flowered fancy sorts.
These are most attractive when well grown, and are
always saleable at good prices; of late years the Zonal
and Nosegay classes have come into much repute, on
account of their being all but perpetual flowerers, being
also less difficult to grow than some of the fancy show
sorts. The Tricolors are certainly beautiful in the
foliage, and that is all; but they are in most cases dif-
ficult to grow well, requiring a good and even tempera-
ture of a moderately high degree, with good soil and
pot room. They are, however, useful for cut foliage to
place outside a bouquet, and for a button-hole; but
there is no class more favoured than the original type
of the Fancy Pelargonium, such as Queen Victoria,
Favourite, Acme, Fanny Gair, &e.

But it is not now my purpose to make lists of any

THE GERANIUM HOUSE. pal

plants, for catalogues furnish these in abundance, many
of them being descriptive as well: the most suitable
house and how to fill it, is the subject which I am writ-
ing about. The span-roof is no doubt the best form of
house that can be used for the proper culture of Pelar-
goniums, the same kind and of the same construction
as I recommend for the Carnation. This may be used
with equal advantage, except that no troughs for the
stand are required, as these flowers must be grown in
pots. All good growers recommend the span-roof for
Geranium growing; but if this has one full south roof,
the other can get no direct rays from the sun, and the
plants on the north stage will be drawn, and later than
those on the south side; so to remedy this evil I re-_
commend that the house be set north and south, as for
the Pink and Carnation house; then each roof will get
a portion of the sunshine. The house may not be quite
of so early a kind, but if it is glazed eighteen or twenty
inches apart from rafter to rafter, there will be an abun-
dance of good light, and indirect rays from the sun
sufficient to grow the Geranium early and well ; and, by-
the-bye, a house so situated will be much better for a
protracted flowering than one facing the south, nor
will so much shading of the plants, when they are in
flower, be required as when one side is full south.

The angle of this roof is such as to throw plenty of
good light among the plants, which is a most important
element for the growing of good dwarf, healthy, and
handsome specimens. The old houses in which Pelar-
goniums used to be grown (and are now sometimes)
are just the sort to produce the drawn-up plants which
we see from such constructions—plants with stems a
foot or eighteen inches high to the flower, and in, per-

12s THE FORCING GARDEN.

haps, a five-inch pot. But now that our eyes are opened
to the various requirements of plants, we devise better
means for growing them, so as not only to produce more
handsome specimens, but also of a dwarfer character,
which displays their colours to greater advantage.

A forcing house of the dimensions and construction
of the one for the Pink and Carnation is sufficiently
capacious for a man to get a living from, with the addi-
tion of a few pits or frames; and I will now show how
it is to be done. This house will hold, first, 1060 well-
grown Geraniums, in five-inch pots; to be succeeded
by 860 Balsams, in eight-inch pots, for sale as plants,
or for seed; or 800 Begonias, or 1,200 Fuchsias, or
1,200 various plants; all of which may be valued at
ls. each, besides the Geraniums, which may be put at
the same figure at the least.

The Balsams may be estimated at 2s. 6d. per pot,
whether grown for seed or sold as plants. In each case
the Geraniums will be gone from the house before the
succeeding batch of plants will require the room. The
Geraniums will have to be nursed and housed in the
same place all the winter, and flowered there; but the
Balsams need not be raised before April, and can then
be reared in a good frame or pit, and be potted off into
small pots, in readiness for shifting into the eight-inch
ones as soon as the Geraniums are gone.

I have always found Messrs. Waite, Burnell, & Co.
supply good reliable articles, and if at any time anything
did not prove so good as might be expected, they were
always ready and willing to throw something off the
cost. I have dealt with them for many years, and can
vouch for what I say. This firm seems to me to be the

THE GERANIUM. 123

trade resort for the profession generally; and next
comes Sutton—first or last, they bear a good name.

The Geraniums should be propagated annually from
cuttings of the short-jointed young stuff taken off with
a small heel of the solid young wood, as early as it can
be had, for very early and strong young plants, to flower
in May or the beginning of June. As soon as the cuttings
are well rooted, pot them off into small pots singly —
large 60-size pots—three and a half inches in diamete1 3
and nip out the point of every plant, and continue to do
so, as soon as young growth is made of two inches in
length, until the middle of March, when the stopping
should be discontinued, or else the flowering will be late.
The longer the stopping is continued, the later will bethe
flower. The main thing is to strike the plants as early
as possible, say about May or the beginning of June, and
then get the young plants on well, and stop them so as
to form them dwarf and quite stemless, covering a five-
and-a-half-inch pot before the winter ; then the founda-
tion for a fine flower, and an early one too, is laid.

In the month of October (earlier if a wet season)
place the plants in the house where they are to remain
for the winter, admitting all the air possible to them.
Give no fire heat at first, except the weather is very
wet and cold, then a little may be put on to drive off
the damp, admitting an abundance of air daily, to
keep the plants dry about the foliage, and not too
moist about the root. The chief thing is not to excite
the plants any more than is necessary at this time, nor
indeed till the month of March, when more stimulants
may be given them; not, however, in the shape of heat,
but in that of very weak liquid manure once a week
from March until they are in flower. But I particularly

124 THE FORCING GARDEN.

advise that no guano, or any strong stimulant, be
given them at any time, for I have found that when
overdoses of guano have been administered, to force
plants into large specimens, much mischief has been
done in the way of ‘spot,’ &e. It is far better to err on
the safe side, and not to give enough, than to give
the plants very strong doses of liquid manure. The
best time to do this, no doubt, is when they are showing
flower, 7.e. when the flower-buds are formed.

Geraniums especially require to be kept as quiet as
possible during the dull months of winter ; all, or nearly
all, the growth to form a good symmetrical plant should
be made before November. Then the main thing is to
keep the plants half dry and quiet through the next
three or four dull months.

Now, by a moderate calculation, this house, which is
sixty feet long, and will not cost more than 801. includ-
ing everything, will return a profit of 156l., 1301., or
110/., according to what is to follow the Geraniums.
Of course there is a deduction to be made for pots, soil,
and a little firing; the fuel may be put at 25s. per
month, 10/. for pots, with 1/. for soil for potting, more
or less, according to distance: total expenses, say,
171. 6s. besides time—which is a profit worth trying for.

Generally the aphides will trouble the Geraniums
as soon as the warm weather comes, and they are often
very troublesome in the spring. No time must be lost
when they appear, but the fumigation must be done at
once. Do not syringe the plants overhead, for this
will cause defect in the foliage, spot, &e. No more
shading should be given to a Pelargonium house than
can be avoided, for this draws the plants and occasions
a bad colour in the leaf. If the house is set with its

THE GERANIUM. 135

end to the south, with the door there, then a very
slight shading, while they are in flower, will be required ;
but none at all for a trade house, as it is the best policy
in business to despatch the whole of what is ready at
once. Get the house clear, and fill it with a second
batch of whatever is most saleable.

CHAPTER X.

THE GESNERACEOUS HOUSE.

In order to be successful in growing Gesneraceous
plants, either the house for them must be facing the
east or west, or else it must be shaded. The kind of
house similar to that recommended for the Geranium,
and set the same way, is as good as anything for this
class of plants, except that the roof should be double-
glazed, and the rafters placed much closer together, as
they require no strong sunlight; on the contrary, this
must be avoided. If a southern aspect is adopted, some
permanent evergreen shade must be employed for the
south roof, otherwise this class will get injured by the
strong rays of the sun in their beautiful foliage, on
account of which they are considered so handsome.

The foliage of some of these species is handsomely
marked, while others are of a deep velvety green; and
in either case, if exposed to the strong rays of the sun,
they get scorched and then lose the beauty for which
they are so much admired. This class includes the
lovely free-flowering Achimenes with its multitudinous
varieties ; the glorious and unique family of Gloxinias,
which must be seen to form an adequate idea of their
beauty when in foliage as well as in flower; the
Plectopoma, a sort of half Achimenes and half Gloxinia;
the Gesnera Zebrina and its varieties; the Strepto-

THE GESNERACEOUS HOUSE. 127

carpus, with its curious construction; the Nigella, a
kind of Gesnera with very handsome foliage and ex-
quisite flowers, which are produced in winter, making
them valuable for cut flowers: these all require a good
house, and in general a brisk and lively heat—a stove
heat of 70° to 80° is required to grow them well. The
house for all these should be double-glazed.

The Achimenes and Streptocarpus may be grown in
a common greenhouse through the summer, but must
first be started into growth in a good heat; but in the
colder counties it is necessary to grow all of them in
a temperature of 70° up to 80° with shade. In my
opinion, a house filled with Gesneras of all classes
possesses a feature and a charm quite uncommon for
those who delight in what is really gorgeous and hand-
some, combined with what may be called exquisite.
If we refer only to the tribe of the Gloxinia, this is
fully realised; but add to this the other species and
their varieties, and then we find that these words fall
into insignificance as descriptive of what is meant by
the terms ‘ handsome, beautiful, and exquisite ;’ for no
words can convey any adequate idea of what they really
are when well grown and in masses.

None of these are difficult to grow: the chief thing
is to preserve the roots well through the winter or the
time when they are dormant, and to have a good com-
post of half-dry leaf-mould, peat, maiden loam, and
silver sand to start them in, when they are to be
excited, and a brisk heat to continue them in whenever
that is done, and to maintain a good even temperature
while they are growing, never allowing the full power
of the sun to fall upon them.

The house recommended for the Geraniums may be

128 THE FORCING GARDEN.

used for these with double the amount of hot-water
pipes, and a boiler capable of heating them, to be
double-glazed, with clips on my plan, according to fig.
7 or 9. The double glazing of this house is essential
for these plants, as they are, many of them, winter
flowerers, and it is the best for such a class of tender
plants, being safe, certain, and economical. If the
house containing this class of plants does, or must, face
the south, then select some appropriate climber for the
south roof, and I know of none better suited for this
purpose than an Allamanda, or a Jasminum, or a Bou-
gainvillea glabra; each of these may be trained as you
please, covering the roof with a certain number of
permanent leaders and then spurred in as for a vine.
Thus the climber may be made to cover the roof thickly,
or to form a half-shade, which is the proper thing for
Gesneraceous plants: too much shade is not good for
them, but only so much as will break the full power of
the light.

In attempting to grow this class of plants, it is
necessary to be careful and not to give the roots any
water when they are first excited, but to allow them to
make some little growth and then to give water suffi-
cient to half-wet the soil all through. The drainage
must be perfect, that is, one that will not admit of the
settlement of any water, but allow it to pass off directly;
thus the danger of too much water will be obviated.

The tribe of Gloxinias are perhaps among our best
Gesneraceous plants. They may be raised from seed, but
as so few of them raised in this way are of much com-
mercial value, it is quite a speculation to do so. It is
much better to purchase a dezen or two well-known
sorts and to propagate them by cuttings of the leaves

THE GESNERACEOUS HOUSE. 129

and save the seed yourself. Then perhaps there is a
better chance of getting more good seedlings from such
seed than there is from the seed generally sold. After
the plants have spent themselves in flowering allow
the bulbs to dry off gradually till they are quite dry;
then keep them so till the early spring, when they
may be subjected to a brisk heat, and when signs of
growth appear, give them some water carefully, and as
soon as an inch of growth is made (if they are in the
pots in which they flowered last season), shake them
out and the old soil from the roots also, and re-pot
them. In the case of the real Gesneras the same
treatment recommended for the Achimenes may be
adopted ; that is, dry them off thoroughly after flower-
ing, leaving them in the pots, and keeping the bulbs
in a dry and warm place such as the back shelves of a
plant-stove where no drip can fall upon the roots.
This may be done either in the early or late spring, for
these may be started at all seasons from December till
May according to the time when they are required to
flower.

In the case of the Gesneras, Achimenes, Plectopo-
mas, &c., the dry roots may be shaken out of the soil,
moss, &c. in which they have flowered the last season
and in which they have been kept during the months
of dormancy. The roots should then be planted in fine
sifted half-dry leaf-mould one part, maiden loam one
part, good peat one part, and silver sand one part, well
mixed together. Place the roots thickly in this soil in
deep seed-pans and cover them with from one and a
half to two inches of the same light soil; one inch will
do for the Achimenes. Set the pans on bottom heat,
give no water till they have made an inch of growth,

K

130 THE FORCING GARDEN.

then give tepid water so as to wet the soil fairly through,
and shade them (especially the Gesneras and Achimenes)
from the sun; for if the sun’s rays fall upon the foliage
it will be discoloured and the plants spoilt as regards
their beauty for the season. As soon as these have made
say two inches of young growth, pot them off into five-
inch pots, placing three roots ineach pot. The Gesnera
zebrina and this class should have a six-inch pot for
three roots, using a little stronger compost; 7.e. one
having more loam in it.

The Plectopomas and Achimenes may be made into
exquisite ornaments for the conservatory by bedding
them in moss and fine sifted leaf-mould, and filling
globular wire baskets with handles, by which they may
be suspended by means of a wire from the roof of a
lofty house. This is especially the case with the free-
flowering and clear-coloured Achimenes, such as old
iongiflora (blue) and longiflora alba, two remarkable
and showy sorts; these will appear almost of celestial
beauty for many weeks. To meet the object in view
perfectly, each basket must be well filled or there will
be a defect in the display. The plants should be
bedded in with the moss in layers with their points
showing out all round, but not more than three inches
apart. A single basket of the ordinary size will take
perhaps fifty, sixty, or eighty plants; but as the
Achimenes are multiplied so fast and so easily, it does
not take much to fill a dozen or two of such baskets.

It is quite astonishing what a number of fine bulbs
one of these baskets will turn out in one season. The
moss and leaf-mould together seem exactly the thing for
them; the rhizomes run into it, forming bulbs in abund-
ance which I find are larger and much healthier than

THE GESNERACEOUS HOUSE. 131

when grown merely in the soil. If they are potted off
for flowering, a good handful of moss should be placed
in the bottom of each pot. Weak stimulants may be
given to all the Gesneras during the flowering. It
will be necessary to provide a double set of hot-water
pipes for this house,

K2

CHAPTER XI.

THE CALCEOLARIA AND CINERARIA HOUSE.

THE Calceolaria and Cineraria are two such well-known
species that they need no description, although for

Fic. 25.—SECTION OF A SIXTY-FEET SPAN-ROOF CARNATION HOUSE,
EIGHTEEN FEET WIDE.

Reference to plan.—aaaa, top ventilators; BBB, sliding sashes; ccccc, zinc
shutters, made to lift up and down in runs for the admission of air, when the
sashes, ‘B,’ cannot be opened; DD, staging all round the house, two feet three
inches wide, to hold three rows of carnations; E, the centre stand, showing how
the fixed troughs are made for the plants, nine inches wide and seven inches deep ;
F, hot-water pipes ; G, pathway.

END SECTION OF HOUSE.

all that, practical treatises never seem to be out of
place regarding them. They are usually considered

THE CALCEOLARIA HOUSE. fac

difficult plants to grow well—at least this is the com-
plaint of amateurs. ‘ Ah!’ they say—‘ we like them, but
they are so much infested with or liable to the insect ; ’
so they give up the idea of growing them.

I know very well that to grow either of them in a
mixed collection of plants is far more difficult than it is
to grow them ina house by themselves. This is why I
particularly wish to impress upon the reader the neces-
sity of devoting a house almost entirely, if not quite, to
the exclusive growing of these and some other plants,
as complete collections of the same species and their
varieties. The difference required in the treatment of
the various genera call aloud for the exclusive devotion
of compartments of houses, or departments devoted solely
to each and itsallies. No one can grow Geraniums and
Calceolarias and Cinerarias all together at one and the
same time; by attempting to do so a miserable failure
is the result, and extorts complaints against these indi-
vidual species. Glass is now cheap, and by following
up my method in the construction of houses, and by the
economical way of glazing, heating, &c. much larger
houses can be built for the same prices usually paid for
places half the size. I can guarantee this, and I am
fully prepared to give full illustrations and detailed
estimates with practical information how to do it.

The house illustrated above, which is precisely the
same as for the forcing of the Pink and Carnation, costs
about half the amount that most professional builders
charge for the construction of a similar place. I see by
the price lists of various builders I have now by me that
such a house complete will cost not less than 155/.,
whereas my estimate is 77/. 18s. complete, without the
stage for the plants. Then why not devote a house to

134 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the prize-growing of these two beautiful subjects? What
will grow the Cineraria will also grow the Calceolaria,
1.e, the same house will do for both in succession,

I want to show again how effective and interesting
such a house may be made with only these two classes.
It is considerably more difficult to grow a lot of miscel-
laneous plants in one house, than one or two species in
the same. Many no doubt have been struck with the
idea of realising ‘ 176]. from three glass houses,’ as I
have said may be done in a business way, in my ‘ Mul-
tum-in-parvo Gardening ;’ but I must say again, that if
it can be done in a business way, then it is surely worth
while to try the same thing in the way of pleasure for
the sake of the amount of variety in the aggregate, be-
sides on account of its being the easiest and surest way
of obtaining a good effect. Nor can anything give
this result with less trouble and with greater satisfac-
tion, than first a house of good Cinerarias, and then
Calceolarias to succeed them; and when we remember
that there are few classes of plants that can compete
with these two for beauty and variety and as effective
show plants, no one will dispute my plea for houses
devoted entirely to them; and if grown as they should
be there are few persons but will prefer them to most
others.

Seedling Cinerarias generally produce much hand-
somer plants than those grown from offsets, although,
to perpetuate the true sort, obtaining the plants from
offsets must be resorted to. It is sometimes difficult
to do this, for generally the Cineraria will flower itself
to death, nor can you prevent it with some sorts; no
one can control the freedom with which some will
flower.

THE CINERARIA HOUSE. 135

No stopping of the growth must be done to Cine-
rarias with a view to produce offsets. They will not
bear the stopping of the flower scapes ; therefore those
who want to produce plants in this way had better let
the plants flower as they will, and when the signs of
flowering begin to decrease remove them from the
house to a cold shady pit or frame, where probably a
greater inducement will be given them to produce off-
sets. As soon as these appear, which spring from the
surface of the pot, close to the stems, and when they
are large enough, take them off with a root if possible
attached to each, and pot them into three-inch pots in
a compost of one half fine sifted leaf-mould, and one
half maiden loam with a little sand added, and then
set them in a shady cool pit or frame, giving them
some water. These must be shifted into six-inch pots
as soon as the small pots are filled with roots, and then
they may be continued in the frame or pit, giving an
abundance of air both night and day. Or they may be
set on ashes under a north wall till October, when they
must be placed in the house. If extra fine plants are
required they should be shifted into eight-inch pots at
once from the small ones.

Seedlings must be raised from seed sown annually
in June in seed-pans or under hand-lights in a shady
border, and in soil as described above; potted off as
soon as they have made six or eight leaves, and treated
in the same manner as for the offset plants, frequently
syringing them all along through the summer, and
continuing it daily till they are in flower. This is the
secret of growing the Cineraria free from insects, mil-
dew, &c. which are so often complained of. Nothing is
required to keep them clean and healthy but daily

136 THE FORCING GARDEN.

syringings with clean soft water, with now and then a
fumigating with tobacco in the evening, and syringing
in the morning, till they are in flower, then the syring-
ing should be discontinued. As soon as the flower
heads are well formed give a weekly watering with
weak liquid manure—half an ounce of guano to one
gallon of water is quite strong enough. The Cinerarias
will all have done flowering by the month of April,
when they should be removed from the house and
the stages cleaned, and then the Calceolarias may be
brought in.

It is infinitely better to grow Calceolarias (I mean
herbaceous Calceolarias) in a cool pit or deep frame
all along from the seedling stage till they are in their
flowering pots and are actually sending up their flower
stems, than it is to coddle them in a greenhouse all the
winter, where they become infested with insect pests.
I have found that they are not at all liable, or at least
half so liable, to insects when grown in cold pits till
April, as when they are subjected to fire heat. The
plants will carry a luxuriant foliage completely covering
the pot and will be more robust when in flower; these
will succeed the Cinerarias admirably and make a most
unique show for many weeks, and if of good exhibition
varieties they will exceed most plants in richness of
colour.

The herbaceous Calceolarias cannot be multiplied
by any other means than that of seed, which should be
sown in the month of May, for flowering the following
May; the seed should be sown on the surface of seed-
pans filled with fine leaf-mould, maiden loam and sand,
and set in a shady place in a house or pit, and the
seed-pan covered with a flat square of glass till the

THE CINERARIA HOUSE. sy;

seedlings appear, when air must be given. If the soil
is made firm before sowing the seed, and then watered
with a fine rose waterpot su as to soak through the soil
in the pans, and the seed is then sown over, the surface
thinly, no water will be required before the seedlings
are up.

After the Calceolarias have done flowering, they
may be succeeded by a stand of Balsams, which, if good
double ones, will pay well commercially speaking ; or, if
grown for pleasure, a miscellaneous collection of these
with Cockscombs and Fuchsias may succeed them.

This house will hold about 800 Cinerarias, the same
number of Calceolarias, about the same of Balsams, and
a thousand or more of miscellaneous plants according to
the size of them.

CHAPTER XII.

THE GENERAL PLANT FORCING HOUSE.

As a rule most people, both amateurs and professionals,
find it necessary to force various sorts of flowers, shrubs,

SS
SS

Fig. 26.—SECTION OF A MISCELLANEOUS FORCING HOUSE.
Forty feet long, eleven feet wide, thirteen feet high at back, five feet high in front.

END SECTION OF HOUSE, SHOWING PIT AND PIPES,

References to house.—aaaa, top ventilators, to open by cords and pulleys; BB,
sliding sashes in front; ccce, zinc shutters, to slide up and down ‘to admit air
when the front sashes cannot be opened; D, doorway; E, double set of hot-water
Pipes ; J, the tan bed, for plunging pots of flowering shrubs, &c.; G, the pathway

round.

and roots in the same house. For a good compact
place for an amateur or a man having a small business

THE FORCING HOUSE. 139

the above house is well adapted where a moderate
quantity of cut flowers is required. This house is
thirty-two feet long, eleven feet wide, twelve feet high
at the back, and five feet high in front; the construc-
tion, cost, and utility of it are worthy of notice for either
an amateur or a professional.

The total cost of this structure by a nice calculation
is not more than 61/. 4s. everything complete, and
double-glazed also with fast top clips on the vertical
bar, with a good and powerful heating apparatus, pit,
and front staging, and everything as is shown. It will
take 1,586 bricks for the outer walls except the back
wall, 1,719 bricks for the pit, 1,100 feet of 21-oz. glass,
1,080 clips for glazing, and a 30l. heating apparatus,
&e. &c., the materials to be of the very best kind, and
the work equal to any in a plain way. Ornamental
work contributes to appearance only, and is all very
well for setting off a mansion or dwelling house, and
perhaps may be necessary in some cases, but plants will
not grow any the better for ornamental work, and it is
three times the expense, and, I may safely say,
depreciates much sooner than solid plain work.

The cost of such a house complete, if constructed
by most of the common builders, will not be one shilling
less than 110/. or 1207. I have no doubt that if any
one simply sends the dimensions of this house to any
professional builder of such things, and asks for an es-
timate, that 120/. will be the lowest figure. Not long
since I drew a plan, for a gentleman, of a house, and
gave the estimate for the construction and glazing of
it, which was considerably less than 50 per cent. of
the price that one or two professional builders did really
give in for the contract; but he got it done at my

140 THE FORCING GARDEN.

price, and done well too; and they can do it if they
like, but they want to get fully one half profit out of
the thing.

It will be found that this house is a good one for
early forcing; if the back wall is made of hollow brick-
work it will materially add to the earliness of it (see
fig. 5, section of cavity wall). The price does not in-
clude the back wall; if one has to be made, by all
means build this kind of wall for all early houses and,
in fact, late ones too. The house should face the
south, and be screened from the cutting east winds,
which generally affect all early forcing. It should be
well double-glazed, especially for the midland and
northern counties, where it is difficult to keep out the
long and sharp frosts, and to maintain a growing heat
when it is wanted the most.

The pit should be well filled with leaves and stable
dung or new tan; but I would caution the reader about
the tan, which is much liable to breed a most perni-
cious fungus. If therefore tan is used, some plung-
ing material must be placed on the top of it, deep
enough to let the pots into, say, nine inches; for if it
comes up to the top of the pots, you will be dreadfully
annoyed with one of the worst kinds of fungus, for it
will rapidly spread over the whole surface, and kill
everything. It seems to possess a perfectly fleshy
nature, which I suppose comes from the skins, as it is
similar to putrid flesh ; so that the tan should never
be allowed to reach the pot, but be trodden tight into
the lower part of the pit, and filled up with it to within
say a foot of the top; then make up this deficiency
with sawdust, cinder ash, or sand for plunging the
pots in.

THE FORCING HOUSE. 141

It is necessary before anything is brought into heat
that it should be well established in the pots; for, if
not well rooted before it is introduced into a strong
heat, the flowers will suffer, and the plant will fail.
For instance, if a Rose is taken up from the ground in
November, and ever so carefully potted, and introduced
into heat in December, flowers will come upon the
plant, but they will be poor, and the plant will pro-
bably die in the end. But if a Rose is thoroughly
established in the pot fully six months, or, say, from
the spring preceding the winter when it is put into
heat, fine flowers and a good healthy plant will be the
result. So it is with all flowering shrubs, except such
as the hardy Azaleas, Rhododendrons, &c., and some of
the herbaceous plants; but then even these should be
taken up from the ground with good balls of earth, and
carefully potted some weeks previous to forcing. The
Narcissus will force moderately by planting the bulbs
in the pots, and then introducing them into heat; but
they will do much better if treated after the manner of
Hyacinths; that is, pot them and plunge them into
cinder ash, sawdust, or some such thing, five or six
weeks before they are put into heat. No potted flower-
ing plants of a strong feeding nature should be shifted
immediately before putting them in heat.

All well-established plants will be benefited by
weekly applications of liquid manure after they begin
to show flower buds. Too much heat immediately after
plants are introduced into a forcing house is not good;
those recently introduced should at first be placed at the
coldest part for a few days ora week. As much light
as it is possible to get should be admitted into al! forcing
houses where there are flowering plants, especially for

142 THE FORCING GARDEN.

the fast-growing herbaceous kinds. No shading should
be done to the house from October until March, and
then on very sunny days only.

The lists of good free-flowering plants fit for forcing
are numerous, but the one below may serve as a fair
guide :—

The Roses of various classes, especially the Chinas,

Azaleas, both Indian and Ghent, and the American
sorts.

Rhododendrons of all sorts, which may be taken
from the ground.

The Kalmias of various kinds—very beautiful ever-
green shrubs.

The Andromeda.

The Lilac, and Syringa or Mock Orange.

The Weigela rosea, and W. nivea.

The Deutzia gracilis, a beautiful pure white.

The Gardenia florida, intermedia, &c.

The Jasminum officinale; it must be established in
six-inch pots.

Spirzea japonica: this may be taken from the ground
in November, potted, and forced forthwith.

Daphne Mezereum—it may be taken up from the
ground with a ball of earth if not too old, potted, and
put into heat at once; but the plant will suffer, as the
Daphnes are impatient of removal, and take a whole
year to re-establish themselves if taken from the open
ground. All these are most desirable shrubs for forcing,
being very fragrant. Daphne indica and Blagyana,
Cneorum, Pontica, &c., are all good for forcing, but
must be grown in pots for the purpose.

The Calycanthus preecox is a good thing, being
very spicy and fragrant, but the flowers are small.

PLANTS FIT FOR FORCING 143

Honeysuckles may be forced if grown in eight-inch
pots, and of the last season’s growth. They should be
well ripened and trained at nearly full length on a wire
trellis, or by means of three or four sticks, inserted in
the pot so as to form a cylinder, when they may be
trained round them.

Nerium, or Oleander, is a splendid shrub to force.
This plant requires a strong heat, and an abundance of
water.

Magnolia of various sorts.

Genista canariensis, a free and beautiful flowering
plant.

Guelder Rose, or Viburnum Opulus. This is a re-
markably fine mop-flowered plant, having large balls
of white flowers, but it must be grown in pots for the
purpose.

Peonia Moutan is a fine genus for forcing, as ure
also the herbaceous Pzeonias; all of which must be
grown in pots for the purpose.

Leucopogon Cunninghamii, a beautiful waxy-white
flowered evergreen shrub.

There are likewise a number of other shrubs which
may be forced; besides numerous bulbous and tuber-
ous-rooted plants, all of which should be well rooted in
the pots before they are subjected to a brisk heat.
Some will establish themselves in the pots in the course
of a few weeks, while others will require a few months,
and some will take even twelve months to do so before
they can be introduced into heat. Asa rule, all succulent
and fast-growing plants, such as Hyacinths, the Nar-
cissus, the Spiraeas, Lachenalias, Crocuses, Snowdrops,
&c. will establish themselves in the pots within two
months; while others, like the Rose, will require from

144 THE FORCING GARDEN.

six to twelve months before they can be put into heat.
The Honeysuckles, Magnolias, Daphnes, &c., must be
grown in pots for the purpose.

After the shrubby classes of plants have done
flowering, the hardy ones should be put into a cooler
house to ripen the new wood for a few weeks, and then
plunged out of doors for the summer; but such as the
Indian Azaleas, &c., should be continued in a cool
house at least till they have made the terminal bud,
when they may be set out of doors for a few weeks, to
keep them back. All those bulbs that have done
flowering should be set under a north wall, and kept
moderately moist till they have matured their new
parts. With care, most of the herbaceous and bul-
bous plants will last many years for forcing if care-
fully looked after when they are once forced.

CeAP TER XT.
THE BALSAM HOUSE.

For commercial purposes it is necessary to devote a
whole house, or a large roomy and light pit, to the
culture of this fine species of plant. Indeed, I think
that, as in the case of most other things, an entire

Fig. 27.—SECTION OF A SIXTY-FEET HOUSE FOR BALSAMS, ETC,

Twelve feet high at the ridge, five feet high at the eaves, eighteen feet wide.
References.—a a, set of blank ventilators on each side, to open by rack gearing; BB,

set of blank shutters, to open and shut by buttons; DD, one-foot fixed panes of
glass all along the fronts ; EE, one foot of four-inch brickwork.

place devoted to the growing of the Balsam is un-
doubtedly to its advantage, although I have else-
L

146 THE FORCING GARDEN.

where shown that a collection of them can likewise be
grown as a successional crop with advantage. But
where it is made a special article, it is no doubt a
good plan to devote a whole house to it, which,
whether for show or seed-saving purposes, should be
of a good construction as regards light, room, and
air.

Those who may grow Balsams, either for show pur-
poses or for seed, will find that the above plan will be
a good one, as well as cheap, to carry out. As it is an
annual which can be grown to the greatest perfection
from seed sown in March till September, no further
security from the weather is required than a careful
protection against winds, and the slightly cold nights,
&e. The seed must first be sown in seed-pans, and
set in a brisk heat till it is well up, and then it may
be removed to a cold frame, or to the house, tiJl the
seedlings have made from four to six leaves, when
they may be at once potted off singly into three-inch
pots and kept cool and well watered.

As soon as these are filled with roots, shift them at
once into eight- or nine-inch pots, and then keep them
close till they have made a full foot of growth, keeping
them well watered. Then admit all the air possible,
to prevent them from drawing up too much, constantly
supplying them with an abundance of water, and once
a week give them a watering with some weak liquid
manure. It is immaterial what this is, but never give
it too strong.

Warrantable double and single seed may be easily
saved from the same plant; that is, the seed that will
produce none but good double-flowering plants in the
next generation may be saved from the main spike of

THE BALSAM HOUSE. 147

flower, and from the base of the lower laterals; and if
it is saved from the extremities of either the laterals
or the main spike, none but the commonest single
flowers will be the result in the next generation.
Mark, learn, and digest this fact, and prove the truth
of my remarks. No Balsam seed can be guaranteed to
produce double flowers if these conditions are not
observed. It is the same with Stock seed, but each
can be warranted to produce double flowers—at least
ninety out of every hundred will come double—if
carefully saved according to these rules; and that is
how it is that some customers can be served from the
same firm with all good double seed, while others will
get, perhaps, not one double flower in five hundred
plants. There is no such a thing as changing the
constitution of the present seed by cultivation. You
can produce as fine-grown specimens of the Balsam as
you please by high cultivation, but if the seed is not
constituted to produce double flowers by virtue of the
concentrated juices of the plant, none, or but a very
very small percentage, will come double. Hence the
necessity of selecting seed from the main spike, and
from the first flowers of the plant. These only are
warrantable, and those who save seed otherwise do so
at all hazards of reputation.

This careful saving of both Balsam and Stock seed,
as well as that of Mangel Wurzel, Beet, Cabbage,
Broccoli, &e., is of the utmost importance. In the case
of the Balsam and Stock, the flowers should be thinned
out, and all except those up the main spike and at the
base of the laterals should be taken off, thus concen-
trating all the powers of the plant in the remaining
flowers. This is the only really safe guarantee that

L2

148 THE FORCING GARDEN.

can be given for double flowers in the next generation.
So much for double Balsam seed saving.

The cost of such a house will be but an item com-
pared with general glass-house building, as no fire heat
is required for Balsams after the seed is well up. If
the house has a span roof, which is no doubt the
best, the plants will then get an abundance of light
and air, and sun all round them. It should be set
running north and south. My object for this is, that
when a span roof is so arranged, each roof gets a due
proportion of sun. The Balsams will not occupy the
place before May, and at that time of the year a house
so situated will get many hours of both early morning
and afternoon sun, and the hot mid-day sun, which
' has a destructive influence upon open flowers, is ob-
viated, although no want of good light is felt. If the
house is glazed with eighteen- or twenty-inch squares
between the rafters, an abundance of good light, equal
to everything that can be desired, will be the result.

The cost may be fairly estimated at 40/., besides
the staging; and this estimate includes everything
else—fixing, painting, brickwork, &c., as follows :—

Eighty-four rafters, four and a half inches by one and a
half.

Three hundred and fourteen feet super three-quarter-inch board-
ing.

Forty-four posts, four and a half inches by three.

Two hundred and forty feet run of plate, four and a half inches
by two.

One hundred and forty feet run of fixed sashwork.

Two good ploughed and tongued ledge doors, hinges, locks,
and keys.

Sixty feet ridge board.

One thousand three hundred bricks,

Masons’ work, and mortar.

THE BALSAM HOUSE. 149

One thousand six hundred and eight feet twenty-one-ounce
sheet glass, twenty inches by twenty, and carriage two hundred
miles.

Six hundred and sixty clips for glazing, and the glazing,
Hinges and ventilating gear.
Total, £40.

This house, if constructed by ordinary builders,
will cost, I find, more than 1001.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE HEATH HOUSE AND CONSERVATORY.

THERE is no class of plants capable of competing with
the tribe of Heaths for elegance of character, sub-

END SECYION OF HOUSE,

References to house.—a aaa, sliding sashes, worked by the cords and pulleys, BBB,
on both roofs of the house; c, the passage under the stand left to come at the
cords, to open and shut the house; DD, the hot-water pipes ; EE, the pathway; J,
the stage; GGGGGQ, eliding sashes ; S N, position of house.

stance of flower, variety in colour, and continuation of
the flowering season, considered as a tribe. There is

THE HEATH HOUSE. 151

no month in the whole year when the Heath may not
be had in flower, nor is there a colour, or shade of
colour that it does not display. There is, moreover, no
class of plants capable of assuming such symmetrical
and elegant proportions as this, combined with the
most beautiful inflorescence, and in such abundance.
It is rather curious that the natural distribution of
some Heaths seems so different compared with others.
The greater part come from South Africa, but they
also seem to extend to the north of Europe; whilst
but few, or none, are found in either the east or west.

The culture of the Heath is easy enough, yet we
find very few persons who grow them. The London
growers, however, are noted for the rapid propagation
and commercial uses of this family, and it is quite
astonishing how soon these market nurserymen will
produce Heaths fit for sale. A few remarks with refer-
ence to the way in which it is done may be of some use
here. About the beginning or middle of February the
young and healthy plants of sorts intended to be pro-
pagated are introduced into a house where the average
heat is 53° Fahr. but not more. The plants are placed
near the glass, a low structure being best suited for
them, and very soon they give an abundance of young
growth ; as soon as the young growth has made half an
inch, or not more than an inch of wood, take it off
with a sharp and fine-edged penknife with a slight
heel of wood at the base. Cut this base smooth, and
have pots three inches in diameter filled with fine and
pure peat.

Now let me remind the reader that bog-earth must
not be used, nor any black soil; to ensure good suc-
cess in Heath growing none but pure peat is to be used.

152 THE FORCING GARDEN.

This is very scarce in some parts, but no one can success-
fully propagate Heaths with the peat of Dartmoor, nor
with that which has been dug out of boggy places; the
peat I mean is to be had from Wimbledon Common, but
the best I ever saw or used, is found in Epping Forest
near High Beech. A few sacks of this can be had for
a few shillings. Having the pots one-third filled with
fine broken crocks, and the other part filled up with
peat, and made firm (the peat should not be perfectly
dust-dry but half dry, as this is the proper state in
which to keep it), insert the little delicate cuttings with
a very small pointed, smooth stick all over the pots at
one inch apart and three-eighths of an inch from the
side, so as to admit of a bell-glass being placed over
them which should fit close inside each. A three-inch
pot will hold about a dozen cuttings. Insert them one
half of their length into the soil; do it very carefully,
and gently press the soil to the base of them, but great
care is needed in handling the tender cuttings or they
may be bruised, which would cause a failure.

Having filled a pot with these cuttings, give it a
gentle watering with a very fine rose water-pot, and,
after allowing the cuttings to dry off, place the glass
over them, and then plunge the pots nearly up to the
rims in a tan bed that is half spent, or over a very
mild tank, avoiding a greater bottom heat than 50°, as
they will not bear much heat; the glasses must be
taken off and wiped dry every morning and then be
replaced ; strong sunlight must be avoided. If all
things are as they should be, these cuttings will have
struck root in the course of three weeks, when the bell-
glasses may be taken off, and in the course of a week
more they may be potted off into thumbs ; but care is

THE HEATH HOUSE. 153

necessary to know that the cuttings are all well rooted
before entirely taking off the glasses, and before
attempting to pot them off. A cool pit or house is
best for them after they are well rooted and they are
potted off.

Keep all Heaths moist at the root, but never give
them water while they are moist just for convenience,
that is, do not give them water if they do not require
it because you happen to be going away to-morrow, or
because you want to go home, thinking to yourself, ‘ If I
do not give them some water now they will be too dry
by to-morrow,’ as is often the case with persons who
have the care of plants. It may do no great harm in .
the case of Fuchsias, Geraniums, &c., but in Heath grow-
ing injudicious watering will prove fatal as surely as
you attempt it. But if, on the other hand, Heaths at
any stage of their growth are allowed to get thoroughly
dry at the root, there remains no remedy; if they are
supersaturated with water equal failure will ensue.

Heaths will not stand too much fire heat, nor must
the frost be allowed to reach them; a damp, close and
confined air will also be injurious, as it will surely bring
mildew ; sufficient moisture at the roots with frequent
overhead syringing during the summer, and an abund-
ance of air with partial shade from the sun, these are
the necessary conditions for Heath growing.

In the case of large specimens, progressive shifting
is necessary, and good drainage with frequent stopping
are essential to obtain fine and healthy plants; but the
time of flowering of each species must be observed for
the discontinuing of the stopping. Stopping or the
nipping out of the points of the leading shoots must be
done immediately after the flowering is over, and onwards

154 THE FORCING GARDEN.

till within three months of the flowering; the soft-
wooded sorts soon form the most noble specimens by
frequent shifting and stopping.

I have no doubt about the above house being found
a good one for Heath growing at a very moderate cost.
It will be seen that I have arranged this house to be
set running north and south, which will be found better
than a full south or north aspect, as no direct mid-day
rays of the sun can come on the plants, while the cool
breezes of the west will be admitted to them by open-
ing the sashes on that side. The cost of this house
may be put at about 80/. including everything.

THE CONSERVATORY.

A greenhouse may be, and frequently is, called a
conservatory, but a conservatory is not a greenhouse.
The conservatory is a structure where plants are ex-
hibited or where they are in flower; a greenhouse is a
structure where plants are grown for flower and nursed
till they are in flower, when they are generally brought
into the show-house or conservatory. However, the
latter may be made a place for the permanent growth of
some plants where they can make progress and display
themselves to greater perfection than they could ina
greenhouse.

Conservatories of various kinds are to be found all
over the country, and some very capacious ones are to
be met with. There was one (and no doubt it is still
there) at Cashiobury Park, the seat of the Earl of Essex,
which would allow of a coach and four being driven
through it; and that at the Crystal Palace is a fine
specimen of what a conservatory can be made.

THE CONSERVATORY. 155

A conservatory should be roomy and airy, and so
constructed that the full blaze of a summer sun can be
prevented from playing upon the plants without arti-
ficial or temporary shading; for shading is not good for
them except it is ofa natural kind, that is, being merely
of a nature to weaken the strong rays of the sun. A
house set like the one above will answer this end in a
great measure. Canvas shading of glass houses is
both troublesome and expensive ; some thinly clothed
creeper or climber may be better used for the roof of a
permanent conservatory—such things as the Tacsonia
Van Volxemii, Kennedya Marryattz, Convolvulus
mauritanicus, Clematis indivisa, &c. These, if atten-
tion is paid to them in training, may be made very use-
ful in merely breaking off the full blaze of a hot sun.

Ornamental conservatory construction is most ex-
pensive, and is all very well in some places, and also
desirable; but these ornamental places will not grow
the plants of themselves, nor will they make a bad
gardener a good one; while, in the case of such a
plain construction as the one given above, if attended
to by a good gardener, its plainness will be lost in the
flowery decoration of the interior.

PART. Sit:
THE EARLY FORCING OF VEGETABLES.

CHAPTER I.

FORCING THE POTATO.

It is high time for us Englishmen to rouse ourselves
to more energy, and to try and meet the competing
foreigner. Now that glass is so cheap, and the cost of
construction considerably lessened by glazing without
putty, which any man can do, let those who have to
get their living by growing early and late market stuff
consider whether they can or cannot fairly compete
with the Frenchman. Some men are doing this al-
ready, but why not all? I think it is very unfair to
allow the foreigner to supply our markets when we
could, by a little perseverance, do all that is wanted.
If early Potatoes will pay them to send here, why will
it not pay us to grow them, and get them to market as
soon as they do? Of course I know that some little
expense at the outset is necessary, but then this is but
once. I am now going to show that early Potatoes (as
early as those imported) can be as easily grown, and
pay as well, as anything else.

FORCING THE POTATO. 157

Potatoes will not stand much bottom heat, but a
good surface heat is necessary to bring them on Now
I will suppose the reader has a good south wall—a
brick wall, no doubt, is the best—with space sufficient
to forma good border seven or eight feet wide. On
this wall I propose to erect glass, and on the wall to

al zoe 5
ec c
Fig. 29,—SECTION OF A TWO-HUNDRED-FEET POTATO FORCING HOUSE,

END SECTION OF HOUSE.

References.—a a, sections of top ventilator, opened by rack gearing; B, sections of

ia flap shutter, hinged below, cc; D, hot-water pipes; E, potatoes; F, grape
plant peaches or plums, and on the border to plant the
early Ash-leaved Kidney Potato quite thickly, z.e. nine
inches every way. First fill the ground with leaf-
mould only, or dig the Potatoes in, first planting the
sets on the bottom of the trench, afterwards put six
inches of fine leaf-mould upon them all along the
trenches as you proceed. Plant whole sets, which
should be started well before they are planted. This

158 THE FORCING GARDEN.

is easy enough to do by keeping the sets in a warm
cellar or house a month or two before the planting
time comes, which should be by Christmas.

This house should be furnished with a hot-water
apparatus; one flow-and-return pipe is all that is re-
quired, and will be found enough to force Potatoes.
Now if the glass comes down to the ground within one
foot, so much the better; and if the wall is ten feet
high at the back, the glass may reach up to the top
with advantage. This will then be at the angle indi-
cated in the above plan. This pitch of the angle will
give a twelve-feet rafter, which will be a moderate
length for Grape vines, and these would be even
better than Peaches on the wall, because I know that
it is not good to disturb the border much on which
Peaches are growing ; and the manuring and cultiva-
tion and top-cropping of the border will not at all
injure the vines, but, on the contrary, do them good.
As a permanent crop the vines will pay well, for as
some fire heat must be kept on for the Potatoes, they
will get forward some weeks before vineries with no
fire heat. One vine will carry three rods each for
spurring.

Suppose, then, the whole border eight feet wide by
any length—say two hundred feet—is planted with
Potatoes all over as suggested, 7.e. nine inches apart,
planting them six inches deep, then no earthing up
will be required, so long as the ground is made very
fine at the time of planting, and the sets are wel!
covered with fine old leaf-mould. I do not mean that
which is perfectly decomposed, but leaf-mould from
leaves laid up one year, which will then be sufficiently
decayed for the purpose, and which contains nutriment

FORCING THE POTATO. 159

enough to produce the very best quality of Potatoes,
free from disease, clean and good.

Now I reckon upon two pounds of new Potatoes
to every square foot throughout the whole border, for
the leaf-mould will produce them nearly all of one
size, and rapidly too. Two pounds to every square
foot of the border would be five hundred and forty
pounds weight per rod or perch, and if the border con-
tains one thousand six hundred square feet in it (that
is, nearly six perches of ground), that will be three
thousand two hundred pounds weight of Potatoes from
the border annually, which would be ready for market
by the beginning of May, at, say, 6d. per pound.
That is 80/1. exactly; yet I am of opinion that this
is not an over-estimate, because if they are treated as I
have said, I see no reason why two pounds of saleable
new Potatoes should not be obtained from every square
foot of the border, and they would certainly realise 6d.
per pound if they were as good and fine as they could
possibly be had. But allowing a good margin for less
produce, and net proceeds of say 20/., even then we
have a good remunerative balance in favour of the
grower.

Then there is the crop that can be had from the
same border after the Potatoes are off, which may con-
sist of ridge or hardy frame Cucumbers, and these
would really require nothing more than planting and
well watering with clean water, and a weekly one with
some liquid manure. An abundance of fine Cucum-
bers would be obtained from this border through the
summer. Afterwards come the Grapes, which, at the
lowest figure, might be put at one thousand pounds, to
sell at 1s. per pound. Thus I can see, and I want others

160 THE FORCING GARDEN,

to see too, that it is a speculation quite worth the
while for any man to go into with spirit, and one which
will enable our home gardeners to compete successfully
with the foreigner, and to keep the trade at home.

A fortnight previous to taking the Potatoes up,
keep them as dry as it is possible to do. This will give
them a nice flavour.

The cost of the construction of such a glass house
is not half so much as what some may suppose. I find,
by a fair calculation, that this wall structure will cost
about 1071. 8s. But if you go to the profession to
get it done, they will charge not less than 197/., and
from that to 210l., for the same class of glass and of
the same dimensions. Here, then, is a saving of
nearly 50 per cent. at the least, and the cost of the
house is more than covered by the produce the first
season—at least I calculate so—by means of the Po-
tatoes and Cucumbers. Nor do I think anyone will
be disappointed, if the thing is well done.

The above estimate includes four hundred feet of
three-inch hot-water pipe; one flow and one return
pipe, close to the front; and a good boiler, with the
fixing; two thousand four hundred feet of twenty-one-
ounce glass; carriage two hundred miles, and glazing
with clips; one hundred and fifty-five rafters, three
inches by two, twelve feet long; two hundred feet eaves
plate ; two hundred feet wall plate, four and a half inches
by one and a half; two hundred feet run of nine-inch
board for top ventilator; hinges and gearing; two
hundred feet super of one-inch boarding for front ;
‘orty posts, three inches by four and a half, two feet six
inches long ; two close-boarded ends ; two doors, hinges,
&c.; and fixing and painting three coats.

CHAPTER II.

FORCING PEA FRAMES.

GENERALLY—in fact I may say always, and everywhere
—early Peas and Potatoes are earnestly wished for, both
by the grower and the consumer. The market garden-
ers, as well as private gardeners, plume themselves on

Fig. 30.—SECTION OF A SEVENTY-TWO-FEET PEA FRAME.

Six feet wide, two feet three inches deep at the back, eighteen inches deep in front.

References.—a, the nine-inch ledges where the twelve-feet boards meet; B, the runs
for the sashes.

picking the first dish of early Peas in the locality, and
of course such are much prized, because Peas at any
time are good; but when they can be had a month
earlier than is usual, they are more valuable; from
3s. 6d. to 5s. being readily given for the very earliest
peck of Peas.

The forcing of Peas consists in growing them under
glass without fire heat; and now that glass is very
cheap, and the construction of all classes of glass

M

162 THE FORCING GARDEN.

houses is much cheaper than it was, it will no doubt
pay well to grow early Peas in this way. If by this
means a peck of Peas will realise 10s. instead of 5s.,
surely it is worth while to grow them under glass.
Frames made of unplaned yellow deal merely nailed
together, with sashes fitted to them, would be very in-
expensive, and will answer the purpose well. Yellow
deals can be bought for 2s. and 2s. 6d. each; these
deals are twelve feet long, nine inches wide, and three
inches thick. The sawing-cown twice will cost 1s., not
more, each deal; this makes three boards, making
altogether thirty-six feet run of boards, costing 3s. or
3s. 6d. Three depths of these boards, 2.e. twenty-seven
inches, will be deep enough for the back, and two boards
in front, 7.e. eighteen inches. Now a frame seventy-
two feet long will take six of these deals, costing 1. 1s.
The front will take four, costing 14s.; the ends will
take one deal, 3s. 6d.; corner pieces 1s. Two boards
will be wanted for broad ledges up the back and
the front, where the boards meet to join the frame ;
nineteen runs for the eighteen sashes. These will take
five battens fourteen feet long, seven inches wide, and
two inches thick, cut in two, giving the runs three and
a half inches wide for the sashes to lie on. The eigh-
teen sashes, four feet wide and seven feet long, will cost
10/.; the making of the frame, nails, and tarring the
boards will cost 10s. Thus a frame fit for early Pea
culture will come to about 13/.—seventy-two feet long,
six feet wide; taking seven-feet sashes, well made and
glazed. It is not necessary to plough and tongue the
boards, but merely nail them together on ledges and
good corner-pieces. The boards will scarcely require
planing, as they should he well tarred with coal-tar and

THE PEA FRAME, 163

lime ; you may add as much slacked fine lime as you
choose; the more lime that is added, the thicker will
be the coating and the greater the durability of it.
The tar also gives it a grey colour, according to the
amount put in.

Now if you go toa professional builder of glass-
houses &c. and ask him to make you such a frame, he
will charge you in all about 30/. They will be made
better as far as the frame goes, but the sashes are the
same, which is the main thing. These frames are
equal to all that is required for the purpose of Pea
culture. The result of getting Peas in these frames is
encouraging ; and I have no doubt but that, if the
Little Gem is grown in them, from 4/. to 51. worth of
pods may be sold in the month of May. When all the
Peas are done with in this frame, it can be used for
Cucumbers, by merely digging up the soil, and turning
in a good lot of rotten manure. The Peas do not cost
much for seed, and give but little trouble.

The Peas should be sown in December, across the
frame, the rows being one foot apart, and the drill one
inch or so apart.

The Cucumbers from this Pea frame will be a re-
munerative crop. It will take sixty Cucumber plants,
at four feet distant from each other, in patches of three
in the middle of the frame; each of these clumps of
three will give from twenty to thirty fruit at the least,
if of a good, prolific and hardy sort, such as the Tele-
graph, Cuthill’s Black Spine, or some of the long ridge
kinds; but either of the two sorts named will do well
through the summer, and produce fruit worth 4d. each
wholesale. That would give about 10/. for Cucumbers.
So that after the first season a remunerative return

M 2

164 THE FORCING GARDEN.

may be realised from this frame without much cost or
trouble.

Of course the Cucumbers will require an abundance
of water daily ; and too much of this cannot be given
through the summer. Water them every day, in the
afternoon at four o’clock, or at night, and shut up the
frames till nine o’clock the next morning, when the
sashes may be opened a little, or otherwise, according to
the weather: if a hot sun follows the morning, open
more ; if a cloudy day, not so much. Once a week give
the whole of the bed a good watering with some liquid
manure, not guano, but such as ‘ Goulding’s special,’ not
too strong, but rather a little weak than over strong.

Very early Peas may be obtained by sowing them in
fine soil, and in a sheltered spot facing the south, and
placing over them ridge glasses like those in the illus-
tration below.

Fie. 31.—SECTION OF TRLANGULAR PEA-GLASSE®, IN FOUR-FEET LENGTH2.

References.—a a aaa, four-feet lengths ; the base board, B, four and a half inches.

These glasses are inexpensive things to make, and
are an excellent protection for Peas in rows. They

PEA-GLASSES. 165

should be two feet every way, 7.e. two feet at the base
across them, and two feet up each roof. They should
be made in four-feet lengths for the convenience of re-
moval and for turning them up off the Peas at times, to
admit of dressing the crop, and for admitting a day’s
nice rain occasionally. Blocks must be placed under
the south side of the glasses, to allow air to get to the
Peas. The glasses may be continued over them till
the beginning of May, when they may be entirely re-
moved, and used for ridge Cucumbers, Tomatoes, «ce.

The cost of these Pea-glasses will be 6s. for every
four-feet run complete, not more. Thus, sixteen feet
of glass twelve feet by twenty-four feet, at 2d. per foot,
carriage and all, 2s. 8d.; the wcod and the making,
3s.; glazing, 4d.; and if painted well they will last for
many years. If anyone can make them for himself
the cost will be considerably less. Every foot run of
such glass will cost from 2s. 6d. to 3s. if made by pro-
fessional men. The exorbitant prices quoted by high
professional horticultural builders are a great drawback
to horticulture ; they keep back the trade, and admit
of the foreigner successfully competing with the home
grower. Let the professional market gardener be his
own builder, go to the best market for all his stuff,
and erect his own glass, and then he will not only save
fifty per cent. in the cost, but he will be able to fairly
compete with the foreigner. It is even easy for a man
to fix his own hot-water apparatus, and it is now a very
simple matter for any man to fix his pipes with those
india-rubber rings I have before referred to. A mason
may be required to set the boiler, but all the rest any-
one can do.

CHAPTER. IIff.

EARLY RADISHES.

THe Radish as a salad, and for the breakfast-table, is
eagerly sought after, especially in the early season.
The earlier that Radishes can be had, the more valuable
they are.

The Radish is not a very tender plant, but it will
not stand frost without suffering in some measure. I
have been a grower of early Radishes for many years,
and have found that when the frost gets at them, it is
a good plan not to remove the coverings till late in the
day if the sun shines; but in the case of a continued
frost it is more difficult to grow them in the open
ground, because the covering of ferns, straw or hay,
whatever it may be, must be kept on them, which has
the effect of drawing the tops up and turning them
yellow; so that whenever they are grown in the open
ground they must be covered with five or six inches of
one of the above materials, and then this must be re-
moved once in the course of two days.

The best and surest way, however, to get very early
Radishes is to build turf pits. These are better than
brick pits, or frames, for either early Potatoes or Ra-
dishes. The Radish will not bear much top heat, and
these turf pits are conducive to a good bottom tempera-

THE TURFING IRON. 167

ture, and one warm enough for them above, withort
much covering.

The building of these turf pits can be done by any
man. Late in the autumn, say November, cut the
turves from a moist place on a moor, or common where
the sward is old and tough ; cut them with the turfing
iron, a tool well known to gardeners; but as of late
some new kinds have made their appearance, I give
a sketch below of what I consider the best.

Fig. 32.—THE TURFING IRON,

a; with a section of the turves, lined into three feet by one foot divisions, 8.

The crank in this tool brings up the handle to the
knee of the man cutting the turves, and obviates the
necessity of stooping so low as becomes necessary if no
crank is made to it. The operator has more power by
this means, by placing the back of the hand holding
the handle against the knee, and thus giving the power
to drive the tool with ease under the sods; the blade
should be of the best steel, and seven inches long by
six wide; the stem from the blade to the crank should

168 THE FORCING GARDEN.

be seven, or not more than eight, inches long; the
crank should be five inches deep, set not quite at right
angles; the handle must rise from the crank gradually
up to the eye of it.

The turves ought to be cut evenly, and it can be
done with ease with this tool; both sides of the turf, .
i.e. the edge near to the cutter aud the further edge,
should be of the same thickness. This may be from
two to three inches.

The building of the pits should be done while the
turves are thoroughly wet. The grass side should be
laid downwards and be well bedded on the one pre-
viously laid, carrying the walls upright to two anda
half feet at the back, and one foot six inches in front.
On the top it will be necessary to lay rough wall plates
on which canvas sashes can be fixed. These canvas
sashes are made with a frame of light scantling halved
and nailed at the corners; on these is tightly
stretched some unbleached calico, and tacked on them
securely. These canvas sashes should be made in the
summer, or at least the material should be dressed over
with linseed oil and sugar of lead in the summer, so as
to get thoroughly dry and hard. The oil will do by
itself, but the sugar of lead dries the oil more quickly
and makes it hard; two coats should be given the
canvas, which will render it as transparent as is re-
quired without the admission of much sun. I have
found that these pits and canvas lights are equal to
brick pits, and are capital things to keep plants in;
while for early Radishes they are first-rate, as no other
covering is needed for them.

Radishes may be sown in these pits at Christmas,
and will then be fit to draw in March, perhaps by the

EARLY RADISHES. 169

beginning, if on a warm border, and I am convinced
that there is nothing which pays better, if so well, as
these things. Plenty of good rotten manure must be
forked into the bed, and an abundance of water given
them as soon as they get from four to six leaves.

CHAPTER, 1¥2

ON FORCING ASPARAGUS, SEA-KALE, ETC.

ASPARAGUS.

I HAVE often thought what a pity it is that Asparagus
roots should be thrown away, after giving from 10s.
to 15s. per hundred for them, and after getting
perhaps about as much, or a trifle more, from them

Fic. 33.—SECTION OF A SEVENTY-FIVE-FEET ASPARAGUS FORCING PIT.

References —a, the bed, permanently planted with four rows of roots; B, one flow-

and-return three-inch pipe running on the surface of the bed, close to the walls ;
c, the boiler.

than what the roots originally cost. Asparagus forcers
should remember, that it is not bottom heat that is
required to get it early, but a summer heat at the
surface. If you plunge a thermometer into a bed in
the open ground in the month of April, and shade it,
you will find that it will not rise above 40° or 45°; but

FORCING ASPARAGUS. wal

if you hang one so that it rests on the surface of the
bed, you will find that it will rise to 55°, and most
likely to 60° in warm sunny weather, when the Asparagus
is growing. This proves that Asparagus only requires
a surface heat, more or less, to get it early.

- I propose the setting or building up of brick walls
round established Asparagus beds, similar to the plan
above, but for the purpose of forcing on this plan the
bed should be arranged so as to face the south, with
something to screen it on the north side. If it is
planted three full years before the forcing is begun, so
much the better. Then the four-and-a-half-feet brick
walls may be built two and a half feet high at the
back, and one and a half feet in front. The width
should be eight feet; this will allow of four rows of
roots, and the row next to the walls may then be four-
teen inches from them, and the other rows can be a
little less than eighteen inches apart, the plants being
eighteen inches in the rows.

The same preparations which.are generally required
in making permanent beds in the open ground are
necessary here. The chief thing in making Asparagus
beds is to dig in as much sea-sand as possible. There
is nothing like an abundance of this, with some sea-
weed buried in the bottom for Asparagus growing, and
as much pig dung as can be well worked into the soil.
The bed should be trenched eighteen inches or two
feet deep. Every October or November, the surface
should be top-dressed with strong manure, which has
had some pounds of salt, or decomposed seaweed,
mixed with it.

The forcing may begin in January, by putting on a
slow fire, just enough to create a slight elevation of

es THE FORCING GARDEN.

the thermometer, above the outside temperature, for a
fortnight. Keep the sashes close. In the course of a
fortnight the thermometer may rise to 60° and then to
65°, at which it may stand, with a rise of 10° during
sunny days. Keep the sashes closed, water with tepid
water, and sow some salt over the bed once or twice.
This will wash in, and help the Asparagus. It will be
necessary to treat the beds in the usual way before
commencing to force, viz. fork the surface over, and
then rake it off fine, so that the heads may come
through freely. It is necessary to stop cutting before
the plants get exhausted; the cutting must not there-
fore be continued too long, and the heat may be dis
continued as soon as it is done, air being then admitted.
lt will be advisable in frosty weather to cover the
sashes with mats. If the roots are not driven beyond
their strength, the bed will last many years.

A small elliptic boiler of twenty-four inches will
heat a pit of one hundred feet long, costing 2l. 3s.
The two hundred feet of three-inch pipe will cost
71. 10s. carriage and all; four elbows, at 2s. 8d. each,
10s. 8d. The fixing of the boiler, bricks, &c. will cost
2l.; the india-rubber rings for fitting the pipes, 5s. per
pound. Here then is a good, simple, and effective
apparatus for sufficiently heating such a pit for a
little more than 101. The cost of the pit, sashes, &c.
may be compared to the Melon pit, frames, &ce.

SEA-KALE.

Many methods are adopted to get early Sea-kale,
but I know of none to equal covering up the roots
where they stand. Sea-kale will not bear a great dry

FORCING SEA-KALE. 173

heat. The heat of a forcing house, however moist it is
kept, does not suit Sea-kale; under such circum-
stances it is wanting in crispness and solidity, and the
tops only are nice and tender when cooked. But
when it is forced, by covering it first with pots and
then with fresh-gathered leaves of the same fall of the
year, the Kale is of quite a different quality, being
solid, crisp, and rich, in which case all of it may be
cooked and eaten to the extent of five or six inches in
length.

There is nothing to equal leaves for forcing this
vegetable. Hot and fresh stable dung, if put on of a
thickness sufficient to cover the pots well, will ferment
toa scalding heat, which will last for a week or two
and then decline, and the heat will have all passed off
without the least benefit to the Kale, for it will not
have made the least progress while the manure was hot.
Sea-kale will not force, to be fit for anything, under
six or eight weeks from the time that the dung is
put on the roots. I have tried it, and therefore
ean vouch for what I say. But leaves act differently
if they are put on the covers, filling up the spaces
as well, and forming a bed over the whole of the
plantation.

It is much the best and most economical to make
Sea-kale plantations consisting of not less than three
rows, i.e. three rows three feet apart and three feet
from plant to plant. It is far better to make the plan-
tation in a square of three rows than to plant one row
only through a quarter; for then, when the fermenting
material is put on the pots containing the roots, it
forms a solid bed, which makes the best of the heat.
The leaves will maintain an equal heat for many weeks

174 THE FORCING GARDEN.

in succession if, when they are put on, they are trodden
well among the pots, filling up all the spaces, and if
the leaves are wet they will work in very close and
form a lasting heat for the whole of the time required
for the Kale. JI have found that it is considerably the
better when forced by leaves than by stable manure.
Leaves can be raked up during November, and put on
at once.

It is better, in my opinion, to plant but one of the
kind, if strong, for a smaller pot, than to plant three
crowns in one place for a large pot. Or three crowns
may be placed quite close together, instead of five or
six inches apart, in an angle, as is more usual. I have
found that when they are so planted the crowns in-
variably get beyond the limits of the large-sized pots,
and generally come outside it, or Just under the rim.
One good strong root is enough for a pot, and some
sea-sand should be dug into the soil when a plantation
is made, and the whole space in which the pots are
should be covered with three inches of sea-sand, com-
pletely covering the crown of the plant. This will keep
down slugs.

Some preparation is necessary before forcing time
comes on. In the course of the summer go over the
crowns and thin them out, leaving no more than three,
which should be the strongest. If this is not done
there will be a crowd of spray crowns, which will give
poor Kale, pithy and small stuff. Good bold crowns,
are what is wanted to produce a fine vegetable ; three
of such crowns to each pot are enough. There is no
doubt but that the very best Sea-kale may be pro-
duced under such circumstances, and that the poor,
pithy, and insipid kind which we see at times is grown

FORCING RHUBARB. kid

under different conditions; that is, from housed and
small roots, with too much dry heat, &ce.

RHUBARB.

The same plan may be adopted in forcing Rhu-
barb, for this, like Sea-kale, will not bear a very
strong and dry heat; covering it precisely in the same
manner as for Sea-kale will be found to answer best.
The roots should be three- or four-year-old well-esta-
blished plants. Before covering up the pots contain-
ing the crown, give the whole of the ground a soaking
with guano and soot; put, say, two pounds of guano in
a tub holding twenty gallons of water, and add five or
six pounds of soot, then stir it well, and water the
ground where the roots are. This will induce the
crowns to break very strong. About the beginning of
the month of December, Rhubarb may be set to work.
It is a plant of hardy constitution, and may be handled
roughly, but good roots are often sacrificed by driving
them too sharp when they are subjected toa strong
dry heat.

If Rhubarb is forced in the same way as Sea-kale,
much finer stuff will be had, and no sacrifice made as
regards the roots. When it is forced otherwise they
should be strong, for only poor thin stuff is got from
small roots. Rhubarb should be taken up and re-
planted every four or five years, for if you want to
prevent it from running to seed, the roots must be re-
planted about those periods. The best time to do this
is in the month of October. Turn out the whole root,
divide it into single crowns, trim off the lacerated
roots to a solid part, and then replant them.

176 THE FORCING GARDEN.

Frequently Rhubarb, although always required
early and good, is planted in some out-of-the-way
corner, and very often close under a hedge. This is a
mistake. Plant the roots m as warm a spot as you
can find, for the sake of getting early growth, but
never put it near hedges, trees, or strong-feeding
shrubs. One season it may be moderately fine, but
after that it will get less and less, till, in the end, it
will not produce stuff larger than the finger.

CHAPTER V.

ON FORCING THE CARROT AND FRENCH BEANS.

THE CARROT.

EARLY and young Carrots are sought for and are
thought much of, and deservedly so; for, let old Carrots
be what they may, they have lost that delicious and
fine flavour which they had when as large as the finger,
as well as the fine texture they then possessed. To
get very early Carrots, some means must be devised
beyond that of a warm border in the open ground.
The same class of frame as I recommend for early Peas
(fig. 30) may be used, but some preparation of rather
a different kind must be resorted to.

A moderate-sized bed must be made with leaves,
tan, or cocoa-nut refuse fibre. Leaves raked up in
November are as good as anything for forcing Carrots.
The next best) material is tan, which suits the Carrot
well, and a bed made with it, two feet and a half thick,
well trodden down as you proceed, will last in a nice
heat as long as it may be required. The bed may be
made in December, but before sowing the seed some
four or five inches of fine light soil must be put over
it, in which the seed should be sown. It will be a good
plan to put five or six inches of old tan over the new
tan first, and then the fine earth, for I find that new

N

178 THE FORCING GARDEN.

tan is very liable to produce a most destructive fungus,
which I have mentioned before. If, therefore, some
old tan is first put upon the new bed, and then the
earth, no fungus will get through to the surface of it.

It is as well to let the heat rise before sowing the
seed, as it is best for Carrot seed to be stimulated to
cause quick germination. The surface soil should be
fine and half dry, and should it get quite dry, a light
sprinkling may be done in the morning with a fine rose
waterpot. As soon as the seed is well up, which will be
in the course of a fortnight, admit a little air by day.
If cold nights come on, lay mats on the sashes, and if
sharp frosts ensue, first cover the sashes with dry hay
and then a mat. The Short-horn and James’s Inter-
mediate Carrot will be the best sorts for this purpose.

When the Carrots are drawn, some soot and salt
may be sown over the bed, in the proportion of one
pound of salt to three or four pounds of soot well
mixed for each perch of ground, and well worked into
the soil for five or six inches deep, and the Carrot seed
sown a second time. This will probably be about
March when young Carrots will be obtained a second
time from the same bed, long before any can be had
from the open ground. Soot and salt are no doubt the
best manure that can be had for Carrots, and for the
open ground two pounds of salt to the same quantity of
soot may be used.

DWARF FRENCH BEANS

To get this desirable vegetable early whenever it
can be accomplished is no doubt the great wish of
most persons. The term ‘ fercing’ may be classed into

DWARF FRENCH BEANS. 179

two or three divisions. There is what we call driving
things—this class of forcing is not always within the
reach of many. Then there is a medium kind of forc-
ing by which all who possess glass may have early
Beans. And there is also another way to get early
Beans in frames and pits without fire heat. To force
dwarf Beans in the first manner, a good brisk heat is
necessary, such as is applied to early vineries. The
second class of forcing consists in sowing Beans in pots
and placing them in a warm greenhouse; and as I
have said early Beans may also be had by sowing them
in the ground in a frame.

It is astonishing with what rapidity Beans come on
under glass, nor is there a vegetable that pays better
to force. Jam convinced that every respectable family
which can command a little ordinary glass will not
only be gratified by the experiment, but also satisfied
that a frame devoted to early dwarf Beans is not lost ;
an ordinary close common-made frame with sashes will
do well for this purpose; such a oneas I have described
and illustrated for Peas (see fig. 30) will be a good
one for these; and if you want them very early the
Asparagus pit (fig. 33) is just the thing. This last
will be found fit for anyone who wants to get very
early Beans; the advantages of this heated pit will
soon be seen. The Beans are sown in the bed, which
should be of a good rich and light nature, consisting of
common garden soil well manured, and if not light
enough, it should be made so by the addition of some
leaf-mould. The soil of the bed should be manured
and forked up some time before sowing, so that the
surface may be made fine and light. Sow the seed in
drills across the bed one foot six inches apart, or

N 2

180 THE FORCING GARDEN.

perhaps one foot three inches will do if some of the
dwarfer sorts are wanted. Zion House and Fulmer Early
are the best free-bearing and dwarf sorts to grow for
any class of forcing.

For high-class forcing the Beans should be sown
three in an eight-inch pot of old hot-bed manure and
maiden loam of equal parts, giving a good drainage to ©
the pots. They should be placed in a Cucumber house
or early vinery, but it is necessary in order to be really
successful, to get as much light as possible to them in
the early season, so as to get an abundance of large
Bean pods, and for this purpose a good house is neces-
sary for them where a brisk and lively heat can be kept
up, and where the pots can be placed near the glass.
It is best to fill the pots about two-thirds with a com-
post (making it moderately firm), and then to place
the Beans in an angle on it, covering them one and a
half inches with half dry, light and fine soil—leaf-
mould two parts and maiden loam one part. Give no
water till the seed is up, and not much then. As the
plants get strength and grow above the pots, fill them
up among the Beans with half-dry compost ; be careful
of watering too much till the plants get strong and
begin to show fruit, when more may be given, and as
soon as the pods begin to come on freely, give some
weak liquid manure for a few times.

Beans are liable to the attacks of the red spider,
when the atmosphere is too hot and dry; so that frequent
syringing must be resorted to to prevent them, and
while the Beans are growing freely fumigation will
prevent the attacks of this pest.

CHAPTER VI.

ON FORCING THE MUSHROOM.

In some localities the chief difficulty in getting Mush-
rooms by artificial means is the liability of this fine
sauce vegetable to be attacked by that insidious enemy
the woodlouse (Oniscus). This enemy of the Mushroom

Lililid:

Vif ff 4 f/f : — SSS SS=a

7

pp,
3

Fic, 3. Fig. 2. Fia@. 1,
Fig. 34.—END SECTIONS OF MUSHROOM HOUSE AND OUT-DOOR MUSHROOM BEDS.
References.—Fig. 1: aaa, outer walls and ceiling of house; c, the ventilator ;
DDD, the framework of the beds; EEEE, the beds; jf, bed of cold water for
vapour, and to prevent the woodlouse and beetles getting to the mushrooms; G&G,
one flow-and-return three-inch pipe, for heating the house; h, the pathway,
Fig. 2: Lean-to out-door bed. Fig. 3: Span-roof out-door bed for summer work.

grower is hard to avoid in wooded, rocky, and dry
districts. It is most remarkably fond of the Mushroom,
and commits its depredations while the gardener is

asleep. To get Mushrooms in such places more than
ordinary means must be resorted to; but old cellars and

182 THE FORCING GARDEN.

Mushroom houses at the back of hothouses in locali-
ties infested by this pest will always prove futile for
complete success, unless some additional provision is
made to keep off these marauders. It is much better
in such localities to go to the expense of building a
Mushroom house quite independent and detached from
all other buildings, so that in extreme cases there may
be no harbour to encourage these pests more than can
be well avoided. They will, I know, find their way if
possible, to any rendezvous where they can get the
warmth, seclusion, and food that they like; but they
are rather careful not to expose themselves too much,
lest they may get picked up by an enemy and be eaten.
And here let me give a little of what I think timely
and valuable advice. In such localities as I refer to
where the woodlouse naturally abounds, let intending
Mushroom growers get as many hedgehogs and guinea
pigs as they can and keep them about the place.
Hedgehogs! say some: how are you going to keep
hedgehogs? Why, keep them in the Mushroom house,
to be sure, where they will destroy every beetle and
woodlouse, and the guinea pigs will do the same work
outside.

The Mushroom house should be so constructed as
to prevent the intrusion of the woodlouse. In the
first place the outside walls must be proof against the
ingress of all such pests ; and secondly, no beds should
be made on the immediate ground floor, but should be
raised about a foot, so that a trough of water may run
round the floor, as seen in the above plan; this will
prevent them from climbing the walls and the stays of
the beds above. The woodlouse will not enter water.

The troughs of water will give off a congenial vapour

THE MUSHROOM HOUSE. 183

favourable to Mushroom culture, and prevent that
poisonous and dry atmosphere which generally attends
these houses. It is a recognised fact that the species
Agaricus campestris becomes poisonous, more or less,
according o the state of its surroundings. Let any
one get Mushrooms fresh gathered from our rich open
pastures, and some also from a dry Mushroom house,
and cook both lots separately ; serve them up, and have
the unprejudiced opinion of those who taste them ; and
I know that the most decided favour will be given to
those gathered from the pasture. It would be quite
impossible to get a Mushroom to retain that purity and
richness at the size to which they grow in the meadows
from an ordinary Mushroom house. Why is this? Not
solely on account of the soil, for generally amade bed con-
tains considerably more manure than a meadow. No,
it is chiefly on account of the dewy state of the atmo-
sphere which prevails at night during the Mushroom
growing months, September and October. It is this
which gives purity and richness of flavour to the Mush-
room. The water troughs on the floor of the house
will answer two most important purposes, viz. prevent
the ascension of the woodlouse and beetles to the beds,
and cause the necessary vapour for the production of
really good Mushrooms.

No difficulty stands in the way of having Mushrooms
all the year through, if a convenient house like the
one in the illustration is built. They may then be
grown without houses for nine months of the year.
To have them in June it is necessary to make a bed
under some warm and sheltered wall or hedge, in the
month of March or the beginning of April. Having
chosen a favourable spot, commence by digging out the

184 THE FORCING GARDEN.

soil a foot deep and five feet wide, and of any desired
length. Turn the soil out on one side, if good; and
then, having a sufficient quantity of well-fermented
manure ready, commence to make the bed. But before
that is done fill up the space which has been dug out
with some brushwood or faggots—not, however, quite
to the outside, but from the back to within a foot of
the front edge. On this brushwood or faggots place the
dung—stable dung it should be—tread, and beat it
firm as you proceed, so as to ensure a solid bed of fully
two feet in depth, and then rake the surface over, and
beat it with the back of the spade as a finish.

The bed, if against a wall, should be at a moderately
sharp lean-to pitch (see fig. 34); but if on an open spot
it may be made a sharp span-roof. The manure or dung
must not be over-fermented, 2.e. not exhausted in its
fermenting power, but half done. When the bed is
made, break up the soil turned out of the trench below
and make it as fine as you can with the spade. It
should be of a somewhat adhesive nature, but not cold
or poor clay, nor of a dry dusty kind; good by nature
and made good by manure for other crops that have
been in the ground; it should also not be too wet.
If dust-dry, water it before putting it on the bed; it
should properly be half dry, so that it will adhere to-
gether when beaten, which it should be finally, so as
to form a tolerably smooth surface.

A few sticks as large as the finger should be plunged
into the bed a foot deep, to ascertain the heat of it by
pulling them out once within twelve hours, and taking
hold of the warm end; if the heat is up, and they are
as warm as milk just from the cow, immediately put in
the spawn ; this is best done by the thick end of a hand

THE MUSHROOM BED. 185

dibber. First, make holes two inches deep and one
foot apart all over the bed; then thrust in each hole
a piece of spawn the size of hole, and press it in tight.
Having spawned the bed, place a handful of fine half-
dry soil over each hole, and beat it in with a mallet.
This being done cover the bed over, first with dry old
hay or straw, and then with straw mats, to keep off
excessive wet.

Fig. 35.—SECTION OF STRAW MAT MAKING.

References.—A, the door frame, in which the nails are driven to hold the cords, B;
c, the first handful of straw tied in; D, bundle of reed, or straw.

Here I may as well, for the convenience of the
inquirer and those who have never made, or seen straw
mats, just describe them. First, get some straw, called
‘reed’ in some places—straw that has not been machine
thrashed, and then some rope yarn or tar twine, and
fasten two long pieces of the twine on strong nails,
each two feet apart, driven into the head of a door
frame. Then take a moderate handful of the straight
straw, keeping the base ends of it quite even, and,

186 THE FORCING GARDEN.

beginning at the bottom, place the first handful the
width you intend the mat to be, bring up the twine
over the handful of straw, pass the end round the line
of twine behind and draw it tight—this ties every hand-
ful in tight. Then place another handful of straw of
the same size on the last, and tie that, and so on till
you get to the top, and the mat will be of the width
you wish it. Now with a pair of sheep shears cut off
the corn ends of the straw to make the mat straight
and even at that end. So the mat is made, and if
made well, and tied tightly as you proceed, it will last
two or three years. These mats are easily made, are
cheap, and far better than Russian mats or any others
which are used for covering frames, Mushroom beds,
and various other things.

Place these mats like thatch on the Mushroom bed
just spawned ; examine the bed at intervals of twelve
hours to see if the heat is too much or too little ; if too
much, remove some of the covering for a short time; if
too little, put on more dry hay, ferns or straw. If after
three weeks from the time the spawn is put in the bed
the surface has become very dry, give it a little water
without the rose, putting it between the original places
where the spawn was introduced, but not too much.
In the course of six or seven weeks the Mushrooms
will appear. Covering to the bed is necessary, but
merely sufficient to protect it from the hot sun, and
cold nights. This method of Mushroom growing may
be pursued by all who desire to have them at all times,
except in the dead of winter.

In the case of growing them in the house, shelves
and well-prepared horse droppings are necessary; and
thoroughly well-made beds on shelves, which should be

MUSHROOM GROWING. 187

made of close oak or elm boards an inch and a half
thick, or even two inches will not be too much; my
reason for this is, that the beds may not get too dry.
The bottom of the shelves need not be ploughed and
tongued, but merely fitted moderately close, then there
will be sufficient drainage to secure the beds from stag-
nant damp. These shelves should have side boards
rising from six to nine inches above the bottom. A
small flow-and-return pipe should run once round the
house, to keep the temperature at 55° or 60° during the
winter months. A two-inch pipe will heat a small house
quite enough; and a three-inch pipe is large enough
for any house used for Mushroom growing. As will be
seen in the plan above, I prefer the pipes running round
the walls, instead of in the middle of the house; one
flow-and-return pipe will be ample. Too much heat is
positively detrimental in growing Mushrooms. If we
consider the conditions under which they flourish best
naturally, we find that they do not require a great heat,
but a temperature of considerably less than 50°. Many
a time have I been out early in the morning in the
months of September and October, ‘mushrooming’ as
we used to call it, when I was young; when it has been
so cold that one would be glad of a great coat, and the
dew has been quite heavy on the grass, like a hoar frost
dissolved, so that my boots have been as thoroughly
soaked as if I had walked in water over the tops, such
has been the condensing power of the cold through
the night. ‘Ah!’ thought I, ‘this is the morning for
Mushrooms,’ and so it used to turn out generally. This
should teach us two important things: first, a good dry
heat te spread the spawn; and secondly, a moist and a
lower temperature to grow the Mushroom.

188 THE FORCING GARDEN.

The Agaricus campestris will grow to an immense
size under favourable conditions. I have gathered
them as large as an ordinary dinner plate, at least nine
inches in diameter, and so full of catsup that one pint
has been made from one of them, and many a time
they have been gathered as large as a small cheese
plate. I merely note these things to show under what
conditions the Mushroom will do best, and to modify
the idea that they can be grown by very clever men
only. In the plan at the head of this chapter I have
no doubt that it will be seen that the water at the
bottom of the beds is necessary everywhere in houses
where heat is indispensable in order to obtain winter
Mushrooms; and, as I have said before, in localities
where the woodlouse and beetle abound, it will be a
bar to their getting at the beds. It is necessary to
thinly but securely cement the trough a little beyond
the uprights of the beds, so that the feet of these posts
are surrounded by water; or the beds may rest on
brick pillars one foot high from the floor of the house.

This house is on a scale of one-eighth of an inch to
one foot. This gives four-feet pathways and eight-feet
beds, which may be rather wide, but they should not
be less than six feet wide; then there is more body in
them, and they will not dry so soon. The beds should
be not less than one foot thick, and should be well
beaten together when made, with a mallet. The drop-
pings from the stable may contain some short straw ;
all should be well mixed and laid up in a heap to fer-
ment a few days before making the beds, and some
half-dry or old cow-dung may be mixed with the drop-
pings when the beds are made. The earthing of them
after they are made should be done immediately, and

MUSHROOM SPAWN. 189

the soil beaten firmly on them, and as soon as the
heat rises, put in the spawn. No light is needed in
the house for some time, and but little air at any
time. A slow fire may be put on in the winter as soon
as the spawn is in the beds, so as to keep a nice
warmth in the house, but too much heat is not good.

A house like the one above is capable of growing
any quantity of Mushrooms all the year round, and
would well repay market men. It may be built at a
lean-to pitch at the back of a house, but where the
woodlouse abounds it is better to build it independent
of any other building, and on this principle. The
walls, doors, and ceiling should be quite proof against
these pests, and the ventilators at the top made secure
by nailing perforated zinc over them.

Mushroom spawn may be bought of good quality at
5s. per bushel, but it can be made for less and by any-
one; although it is scarcely worth while for anyone
except those who grow for the market to take the
trouble to make it. These men know how to make it
generally, but it may be had in abundance from mill
tracks ; that is, where corn-fed horses are used to work
malt mills and other machinery. In these places it
generates, and is of first-rate quality. To have Mush-
rooms all through the winter months, make beds in the
house in October and November, and again out of
doors in March for the summer.

CHAPTER VII.

HOW TO GET EARLY AND LARGE ONIONS.

Few people are aware how the fine Portugal Onion
is produced. The Onion, I well know, requirés heat ;
too much heat can scarcely be given to it; therefore
plant or sow it in the best and most favourable spot for
the sunshine that you can find. To get the finest
Onions, choose some of the large-growing sorts, such as
Globe Tripoli, Giant Rocca, or Giant Madeira. Sow
the seed thickly on some poor ground exposed to the
full influence of the sun about the middle of August ;
or it may be sown in cold frames quite thick, and
induced to form small bulbs, which should, however,
be ripened, when they may be pulled up and well
dried, as for picklers; but they should be kept ina
cold room till March or April when some thoroughly
rich ground should be prepared for them in the
hottest place you can find; but the ground must be
thoroughly good. . To make it so, rough-dig it first
in the month of February, mark it out into four-feet
beds, and then put the contents of the common sewer
on the top of them, all over, as a good thick dress-
ing, and let it remain exposed to the full influence of
the air. If this is done in January or the beginning
of February, the manure will get completely pulver-
‘sed, and lose its injurious qualities.

ONION GROWING. 191

In the beginning of March or by the middle of the
month, go over the beds with a three-pronged dung
hook, and work the surface over five or six inches deep,
mixing the manure well with the soil, and then leave
it for a week, at the end of which rake down the
ground with a coarse rake, leaving a fine surface ; and
after the first shower that comes dib in the small bulbs
in rows across the beds, seven or eight inches apart
from row to row, and six inches from plant to plant ;
do not bury them too deep. These small bulbs will
give the earliest and best Onions, but they must not
be sown too early, nor allowed to be too thin, or else
they will run to seed. As soon as they begin to swell
off, and show-no signs of running to seed, sow a slight
quantity of ‘Goulding’s Bone Manure,’ or ‘ Goulding’s
Special,’ over them, but mind not to overdo it; in the
proportion of one pound to every thirty square yards
will be quite enough. Keep them clean, and clear out
the soil round each bulb when they are the size of a
breakfast cup; the bulbs will then swell rapidly, and
come to a large size and ripen thoroughly by the
month of July. When the tops turn yellow, pull them
up and let them lie on the top of the ground to finish
off through the power of the sun, which they will do in
the course of a week, if the weather is fine. Then
they may be trimmed off and sold. By this means the
English grower may be able to fairly compete with the
French, and by perseverance will have finer Onions
ready for market before they can bring them here.

There is still another way by which the English
Onion grower can compete with the French for our
own markets. Get some seed of Danvers’s Yellow,
or the Banbury Yellow, and prepare a broad piece of

192 THE FORCING GARDEN.

good land well facing the south, and not at all shaded.
Dig it and manure it well in the month of July or
the beginning of August. Dig it deep, twelve or
fourteen inches, make the surface moderately fine,
and drill the seed in six inches apart from row to
row, and sow the seed thinly if you can depend
upon its vitality. If the seed comes up too thick,
thin out, as is usual in the case of spring-sown
Onions.

In the month of November spread a thick sowing
of fine cinder ashes over them, so as to cover the sur-
face; this will prevent the frosts from drawing the
young Onions out of the ground, which long and severe
frosts are apt todo. In the months of March or April
sow over the whole a good dressing of bone manure,
about four pounds weight to the rod, hoe it in, and
then tread the beds over so as to make the surface
firm, and by the month of June or July fine ripe and
large Onions will be the result. Let our English
market gardeners thus try to meet the home demands
and keep out the foreigner. The Onion can be made
to meet the early demands at home if either of these
plans is adopted. If a suitable spot of land is chosen,
and they are grown on a large scale, it can be done;
but to follow the ordinary course of sowing Onions in
the spring, and running the hazard of an unfavourable
summer to ripen the bulbs, is bad policy on our part.
Under the most favourable conditions as regards
weather, they will not ripen till after our markets are
filled with French Onions, which brings down the
price so that it does not pay to grow them.

In some of the mild counties of England where the

ONION GROWING. 193

soil is of a sandy and favourable kind the Onion crop
will pay well on a large scale when grown on either of
these plans; the land may be ploughed deep two or
three times over, well manured, harrowed and made fine,
and the seed drilled in, and finally rolled for the seed.

CHAPTER VIII.

ON WATERING PLANTS, ETC.

THE importance to be attached to the watering of crops
and plants in pots is greater than may be imagined.
If any part of gardening operations requires a practical
knowledge it is watering. When to water, what to
water, and how much water to give, are very important
things to be considered; plants often suffer by having
too much water given them as well as by not having
enough. Watering the plants should be the study of
those in charge of them, as doing it indiscriminately
often proves fatal. Amateurs frequently come with com-
plaints to the person from whom they purchased the
plant, now presenting a sickly appearance, which perhaps
has been supersaturated with water, or perhaps merely
wetted on the top while the roots are thoroughly dry.
Some plants must be supersaturated with water to
succeed well with them, while this treatment would
destroy others ; and then again the physiological condi-
tion of the plant is another thing to be duly considered.
Take, for instance, a plant of a gross-feeding constitu-
tion: when the roots fill the pot and there is no soil for it
to feed upon, sufficient water must be given to enable
it to live and perhaps to flower. I know from long expe-
rience that many plants will not only live, but even do

WATERING PLANTS. 195

well as regards both foliage and flower for many years
without shifting, by supplying them with an abundance
of water ; while on the other hand too much water given
to plants not so circumstanced would cause them to
suffer.

It is not only requisite to know the physical consti-
tution of the plant, but also the circumstances connected
with its root. A plant, for instance, that is well esta-
blished in the pot, z.e. the pot being full of root and the
plant coming into or being in flower, will require more
water than it would whenit was first potted into fresh seil
and was in a more inactive stage of growth. As an ex-
ample, a Geranium that has just been cut back and re-
potted does not require half the water that it does when
it begins to show flower. Again, the Cactus is an in-
stance of what is required by way of abundant watering
and then a period-when no water should be given. The
Heath is an instance of careful watering ; too much or
too little will surely prove fatal to it.

The Heath may be considered a safe guide for care-
ful watering, a sort of medium rule in the matter; and I
think if this tribe was made a sort of criterion in this
respect, no great harm would ever arise from the opera-
tion; for there are few plants indeed but require some
such regular root treatment in watering. There are how-
ever some exceptions, and these consist of the Cactus
tribes, the Tydzeas, Orchids, Agaves, &c. which require
an entire season of rest, when no water is required,
while on the other hand aquatics always require water
in abundance. Still the Heath may be taken as a rule
for careful watering in general; but note this: no
plants require half so much water during the winter as

o 2

196 THE FORCING GARDEN.

they do in the summer, nor half so much during dull
and sunless days in summer as they do when the sun
bears upon them and in windy weather. Never give
water when the plant is damp; most plants except the
Heaths and some Ferns will beara little drought ; when —
they are watered give them enough to soak quite through
the pot, but never (except in the case of aquatics) allow
the saucers to hold the water under the pot longer than
it has drained from the pot after watering.

In the case of watering plants in the ground, one
thing should be observed, and that is, when beds require
water they should have it so as to thoroughly soak the
soil. Never water over the ground a second time during
the same watering ; do all that is required for the sub-
jects as you go along, and do not go over the ground
twice at the same time, for you will find that by doing
so the surface gets into a muddy state, and when it
becomes dry it will get baked under the action of the
sun, forming a surface impervious to the air. This
applies to all ground watering among annual crops, bed-
ding plants, &c. For this reason I condemn all those
waterpots that let out the water over large areas by
driblets ; they are simply injurious, by first damping the
surface and then working it into a mud pool, which
should be studiously avoided. But the old-fashioned
rose gives out the water over a small area, and by hold-
ing the pot pretty close to the surface (as close as you
can), the water can be controlled at pleasure by moving
the hand slowly or quickly in a regular way according
to the quantity required; the watering is thoroughly
done without injury to the soil.

After beds and crops are watered, the next morning
at furthest, they should be Jightly hoed over to form

WATERING PLANTS. 197

a dusty surface so as to prevent evaporation, and thus
avoid the necessity of watering again for some days.
If the surface is not hoed it will soon dry, and the
watering must be done again much sooner than would
be required if the surface was stirred.

PART IV.

MONTHLY CALENDAR FOR THE FORCING
GARDEN.

For the sake of a ready reference I think a Calendar of
operations may be convenient here.

JANUARY.

THE Earty VINERY.—In the beginning of the month
the house may be fairly started if not already done, and
pots of Strawberries may be introduced. French Beans
may also be sown in pots (see p. 179), and Rhubarb
roots may be introduced and placed in tubs or large
boxes, being covered to keep the light from them; a
moist heat should be kept in the house.

All vine pruning must be finished or the vines will
bleed. When bleeding does occur, stop it at once
with some painter’s knotting put on with a brush.

THE Late VinerRy.—AlIl pruning should be done at
once and the vines dressed over with a thick solution of
Gishurst compound, or soft soap, sulphur vivum and
soot made into a thick paint. Strawberry pots may now
be put into this department and set on the ground floor,
and where they are set let them remain for fruiting,
as the roots will get through the pots very soon and

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 199

get into the border, which will feed them; give little
or no water to them for some time.

THe PEacH House.— Keep the Peaches as quiet as
possible, but if in pots give water to keep them from
shrivelling. Introduce Strawberry pots. A little ven-
tilation at the top may be given if the weather is mild
and sunny.

THE PLuM Hovuse.—All pruning and thinning of the
spurs should be finished and the house kept cool. The
Cherry house the same.

THE GOOSEBERRY Hovuse.—All pruning should be
finished, and the trees dressed with soot all over. This
will prevent the Gooseberry fly from attacking them, as
it will do, if it has not probably done so already.

THE CucUMBER House.—This department will now
require close attention; a good brisk heat of 70° must
be kept up; should the weather be frosty no syringing
must be done. Close attention must be paid to insect
pests, and the remedy applied if the least signs of them
appear (see p. 64). Stopping and training must be
duly attended to.

THE MELON Hovuse.—Some early plants may now be
planted in the pits and a good brisk heat kept up. Be
sparing with the water, and never water these imme-
diately on the root-stems. Pots of Beans and Potatoes
may be introduced.

THE Puiant House.—As a rule, most of the
inmates of the stove plant-house will be quiet, and
therefore water must be cautiously given. The shrubby
Begonia, Coleus, Gloxinia, Euphorbia, Streptocarpus,
Deutzia, Hoya, &c. must now be carefuliy watered ;
while others, such as the Gardenias, and those that are
moving and coming into flower, may be dealt with

200 THE FORCING GARDEN.

more liberally ; but it is safer to err on the right side,
and not water too freely at this time, when there is
not much sun. Some plants may be shifted and re-
potted, and such as are required for early flowering
may be introduced. The temperature should be kept
on the rise from 60° to 70°.

THE CAMELLIA Hovuse.—The early sorts will now
be in flower, and coming into flower. Keep the tem-
perature a few degrees elevated, say at 50° or under,
and never much above that—just enough to drive off
damp, so that the opening flowers may be kept clear of
any damage from condensed moisture, and to ensure a
free circulation of pure air; but in no case allow the
fire heat to exceed 55°: air must be admitted as soon
as the thermometer indicates any rise above that.
The plants in tubs and pots may have a little stimulant
given them, but not much; half an ounce of guano to
one gallon of water will help them to produce fine
flowers. The buds on those plants possessing too many
of them should be thinned out at once.

THE RosE Housr.—The Roses will be breaking into
bud, and will require frequent syringing; fumigating
will also be necessary, for the aphides will soon appear.
By the middle of the month, more plants may be
introduced for succession. Cut back those introduced
as soon as they are in the house; give some liquid
manure to such as are showing flower, and keep up a
heat of 70° or 75°, allowing a fall of 15° or 20° by night.
Give no air for the present.

THE LiLy-oF-THE-VaLLey Pit.—Keep up a nice
mild heat, give air on sunny days, and plenty of
water, especially to the Christmas Roses coming into
flower, and also to the advancing Lily buds.

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 201

THE Fern House.—Keep up a good heat, with a
damp atmosphere, and re-pot small plants. Sow seed
~ and prick off seedlings.

. THE HeatH House.—Keep the house well venti-
lated, dry, and at a mild heat. Look out for mildew,
and use sulphur to kill it and prevent it; keep the
plants temperate at the root, giving no water except
sufficient to keep them half dry. Care in watering is
now necessary. Cuttings may now be struck.

THE GERANIUM House.—Keep the house as cool as
possible, although a little fire will be necessary, to
maintain a healthy atmosphere ; keep the plants half
dry, with a dry atmosphere. Nip out the points of the
leading growth. Those required to flower early, shift
into the flowering pots. Admit air daily in mild
weather, and turn the plants frequently to induce
symmetry of growth; fumigate the house as soon as
the least signs of the aphides appear.

THE PINK AND CARNATION Hovuse.—These will now
be in full go for flowers, and may be encouraged to
mature the late buds by giving the plants some liquid
manure. This is a good time to make the full stock
of pipings for plants, for forcing next season (see p.
111). Keep up a mild heat, and admit air whenever
practicable ; but close early.

THE CINERARIA House.—Keep the house at as low
a temperature as possible, but frost-proof; syringe the
plants overhead every morning with clean soft water ;
admit all the air possible every day except when cold,
cutting winds prevail, but even then the ground
shutters in front may be opened; as soon as the
aphides appear fumigate the house in the evening;
admit all the air possible to the Calceolarias in the pits;

202 THE FORCING GARDEN.

ward off frost by covering the sashes with dry old hay
with straw mats laid on it.

THE GESNERACEOUS HousE.—A good lively heat
must be kept up for all the classes in this department ;
the growing plants may be carefully watered, but the
dormant ones, such as the Achimenes, Tydzas, Gesneras,
&c., must be kept dry; some early Achimenes, Tydeas,
and Gloxinias may now be started. (See p. 126.)

THE PEA FRAME.—Sow Early Gem, and give all
the air possible to those already advanced in growth.

THe Potato House AND FRAMES.—In the begin-
ning of the month plant Myatt’s Ash-leaved Kidney,
or some other early sort, but I prefer the first; and
sow early Radishes on the top.

THE AsparaGus Pit.— The beds may now be put
to work in earnest; give plenty of water to the roots.

THE Earty Carrot FRAME.—Sow some Early
Horn,‘or James’s Intermediate, and give air to those
already up. Protect from frost. (See p. 177.)

FEBRUARY.

THE EarLy VINERY.—Last month’s directions are
applicable here in the main. Where the vines have
well broke bud, some little disbudding may be neces-
sary; keep up a good heat.

THE Lare VINERY.—The ‘vines are quiet, but the
Strawberries may have a little water.

Tue PracH Hovuse.—The Peaches will in some
early localities be getting forward in the bud, but
should have an abundance of air to keep them back ;
all pruning both here and on the walls should be done
at once.

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 203

THE PLuM AND CHERRY Hovuse.—All pruning and
training should be finished, and the trees dressed over
with a thin solution of Gishurst compound, to destroy
the embryo insects.

THE GOOSEBERRY HousE.—The trees must now
be pruned, thinning them out well, but do not
shorten the main leaders much; admit air on mild
days.

THE CUCUMBER Hovuse.—Last month’s directions
are applicable here.

THe Meton Hovuse.—The Melon plants will now
be advancing apace; train them out, stop, and en-
courage them to grow as much as possible. Keep up
a heat of 75°, and give an abundance of water. The
water should be tepid.

THE PLant Forcina House.—Those plants which
are coming into flower may have some weak liquid
manure once a week. Roses coming into flower must
have attention, for the aphides will make their appear-
ance in numbers. Fumigate, or dust them over with
tobacco powder; keep up a heat of 75° to 80°. The
early training of fast-growing plants, stopping of
shrubby ones, and the stimulating of those coming into
flower, to obtain finer flowers, are the chief things in
hand. The introduction of whatever is desirable for
early flowers should be done at once—such as Roses,
Hyacinths, Deutzias, Dielytras, Bouvardias, Azaleas,
Guelder Roses, Lilacs, Primula cortusoides, Statices,
Spireas, &c. Place the Heliotropes as near the warm
end as possible. Sow Rhodanthe, Humea elegans, and
Heliotrope seed.

THE CAMELLIA Hovuse.—The plants will now all be
coming into flower; give all the air possible and have

204 THE FORCING GARDEN.

a mild dry atmosphere in the house, so that the flowers
can open freely.

THE Rose Hovuse.—Last month’s routine may be
continued. Seed may be sown for new sorts in deep
seed-panus; keep the pans in a shady place in this
house.

THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY AND CHRISTMAS ROSE
Pit.—The Christmas Roses will be nearly over where
the early sorts are used. Admit all the air possible ;
the Lilies will now be coming on from thoroughly
established plants; give air every mild day by lifting
the sashes behind. Give an abundance of water, soak-
ing the bed well, and give some liquid manure to the
roots, but do not let it fall on the flowers; these liquid
manure waterings will produce extra fine spikes of
flower and fine foliage. (See p. 84.)

THE FERNERY.—Continue last month’s operations,
and shift plants on for large specimens.

THe HeatH Hovuse.—Continue last month’s opera-
tions, strike cuttings, shift on plants for large speci-
mens, and stop them.

THE GERANIUM HovusEe.—Towards the end of the
month shift the whole of the Fancy Pelargoniums from
the store pots into the flowering pots, and stop every
leading shoot; keep up a good heat for the Tricolors ;
admit air on every opportunity, 7.e. every mild day;
give water moderately, and fumigate as soon as the
green fly appears.

THE PINK AND CARNATION House.—See last month’s
operations, and stop the pipings which are rooted.

THE CINERARIA House.—Last month’s operations
may be continued.

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 205

THE CALCEOLARIAS.— Herbaceous Calceolarias must
be shifted from the small store pots into seven-inch
ones. Admit all the air possible every day, and fumi-
gate as soon as the green fly shows itself.

Tue Potato House AND FRAME.—Those Potatoes
that were planted in December will now be up where a
fire has been kept going; move the surface a little
with a rake.

THE EarLy PEA FRAME AND GLasses.—The Peas
will now be advancing apace; dress them over with
the hoe and rake, and admit all the air possible every
day.

THE ASPARAGUS Pit.—The Asparagus will now be
moving; give an abundance of water and an occa-
sional watering with salt water. Protect from frost by
some dry hay or ferns, with a mat on the top.

THE MusHroom Hovuse.—The beds made in the
autumn will be getting exhausted; make fresh ones,
and keep up a mild fire heat.

SEA-KALE.—The Kale will now be in full cut; cut
it clean off close to the crown of the old plant, and
never let it be above six inches long; then it will be
all good and fit for the table. Cut all clean from the
pot, and cover it again. Put a stick or long label with
the date on it when the Kale was cut, so that you may
know for the future. This will save the trouble of
searching in vain for the second cut.

RHuUBARB ForcinGc.—The Rhubarb will now be
ready. Do the same as for the Sea-kale.

THE CARROT FRAME.—Thin the young Carrots out
and sow more. Admit air at all favourable times, and
protect from frosts.

206 THE FORCING GARDEN.

MARCH.

THE Earty VINERY.—The bunches will now be
formed, and the young wood may be stopped two joints
above the bunch. I find that it is not a good practice
to stop the young wood (the fruit-bearing laterals) too
soon, nor too near the bunch; one bunch of fruit toa
lateral is quite enough. All superfluous wood and
spray about the base of the lateral should be taken off.
Maintain a heat of 75° to 80°. A moist heat may be
encouraged in the house; no air is necessary.

Tue Late VINERY.—The vines are still quiet, but
the eyes are beginning to swell. Water the pot
Strawberries well, and keep the house close, notwith-
standing the sun heat.

THE PeacH Hovuse.—All pruning/must be finished
at once. If the Peaches are in pots, water them libe-
rally. Probably the days will be sunny, with sharp
frosts at night. Admit air from nine o’clock in the
morning till three o’clock in the afternoon on sunny
days. Should sharp frosts occur, and the trees be
in bloom, some slight protection will be necessary if
there are no other means of warding off the effects of
the frost upon the blossom. It is a certain and in-
expensive method to have a two-inch flow-and-return
pipe running close to the front of the house on the
ground, heated by a common small saddle boiler. The
cost would be very little for a house from forty to sixty
feet. long, and a little fire put in at five o’clock in the
evening would heat it quite enough to ward off the
frost for the night. This would be better than screen-
ing the trees with gauze or tiffany. Admit no air if

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 207

the days are cloudy. The Strawberries in pots on the
floor should be watered liberally.

THE PLUM HousE AND CHERRY Hovuse.—In some
localities the Plums and Cherries will be in flower
towards the end of this month. Admit air, if possible,
on all dry days, so that the pollen may get distributed.

THE GOOSEBERRY Hovuse.—Well syringe the trees
in the morning, and give water liberally to those in
pots, with now and then some soot in it.

THe CucumBEeR Hovse.—The house will now be
in full bearing. Cut the plants back, thin out the
growth, tie in regularly, set the fruit, and water libe-
rally, giving a weekly watering with some liquid
manure. Look out sharp for the thrip, and imme-
diately apply the remedy. Strike cuttings for succes-
sional plants. Lower the fire heat on sunny morn-
ings, but keep the house close.

THE Meton House.—Encourage the growth of the
plants as much as possible by keeping up a moist and
regular heat. Train out the leaders, and stop them
once in the course of every two or three feet of growth.
Set the fruit every morning. Give top air on very
sunny days.

THE PuLant Stove.—The inmates of this house
will now begin to assume a lively aspect, and the
exercise of every care and judgment necessary for good
success must be exercised. Some plants will require
shifting, and some are best not shifted, notwithstand-
ing the roots may fill the pots. Giving weak liquid
manure answers the same end as shifting with many
things, and is more convenient. When plants must be
shifted, and large pots are required, first secure a good
drainage by enlarging the aperture at the bottom, and

208 THE FORCING GARDEN.

then place an inverted seed-pan over it. Then fill up
above the pan with broken pots and some charcoal.
Pot off young plants, and sow tender-constituted seed.
Keep up a heat of 75° or 80° by day, allowing a fall of
10° by night.

THE CAMELLIA HovusE.—Last month’s observations
are applicable here.

THE Rose Hovuse.—Observe last month’s remarks,
and keep a sharp eye upon the aphides, using the
syringe.

THE Lity-or-THE-VALLEY Pit.—The Lilies will
now be over generally. Give an abundance of water,
and admit all the air possible by drawing off the sashes
by day, and discontinue the heat. The main thing is
now to induce the maturity of the new crowns for
flowering for next year.

THE HeatH Hovuse.—Keep the house at a mode-
rate temperature, with plenty of air.

THE GERANIUM Hovuse.—Finish shifting all the
plants from the store pots into their flowering pots at
once. Stop for the last time all leading growth to
induce a dwarf plant, but observe this: the longer the
stopping is continued, the later the flowering will be.
Water may now be given liberally, with an occasional
one of liquid manure of a weak nature. Give an
abundance of air, and fumigate as soon as the aphides
appear.

THE PInK AnD Carnation Hovuse.—The early
flowers will now be over, and the plants may be turned
out and thrown away. The young plants, being
potted off and stopped, may be removed to a cold frame
or pit to harden off, frequently syringing them over-

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 209

head. Admit all the air possible to the house, and
keep the fire on.

THE CINERARIAS.—These will now be in full
flower. Discontinue syringing, but fumigate as soon
as the green fly appears. Keep a little fire heat,
merely as a precaution against cold nights, but no
more. Admit all the air possible.

The Calceolarias will require room and air, with
frequent fumigations.

THE GESNERACEOUS House.—The inmates of this
department will now begin to assume a_ beautiful
aspect from the development of their foliage; keep
up a good lively heat; give water carefully ; keep the
house close, and shade from too strong a sunlight.

THE Potato HousE, THE PEA FRAMES, THE AS-
PARAGUS Pit, THE MusHrooM House, SEA-KALE,
RHUBARB, CARROT FRAMES, ETC.—May all be referred
to last month’s remarks.

THE Dwarr Brean Hovuse.—Those coming into
bearing must have a good growing heat kept up, with
moderate watering. Keep up a moist and humid
atmosphere in the house to check the red spider.

APRIL.

THE Earty ViNERY.—The Grapes will now be
getting a good size, and the last thinning out must be
done. Clear off all useless growth, and keep a some-
what humid atmosphere in the house, with a good
lively heat.

THe Late Vinery.—The vines will now be break-
ing into growth, and must be well looked to, disbud-

P

210 THE FORCING GARDEN.

ding what is not wanted for the fruit or for next year’s
supply.

THe Peach House.—This month is a somewhat
important one here. Some of the early trees will be
still in progress, and the development of the leaf will
be taking place. In these cases some syringing must
be done, but not until all the fruit is set; give all the
air possible on every sunny day. The greatest import-
ance should be attached to the equal development of
the wood-buds in young and progressive trees. The
main object is to get as much growth of fruit-bearing
wood at the base of the cordon, fan-trained, or even
the pyramid, or bush Peach, as there is at the ex-
tremities. The aphides will soon be troublesome, and
the syringe must be well applied to those trees that
have set fruit. The Strawberries on the floor must be
well watered.

THE PLuM HoUsE AND THE CHERRY HOUSE.—
Admit all the air possible till the fruit is set; then
syringe freely every day.

THE GOOSEBERRY Hovuse.—Continue last month’s
work,

THE CucumBER Hovusr.— Discontinue the fire heat
all day, and merely light a fire in the evening that will
last till the morning; keep the house closed.

THE MELON House.—Observe the remarks made
last month. Look out for the thrip, and apply tobacco
powder with a dredging box.

THE CAMELLIA House.—Most of the flowers will
now be over, or by the end of the month. Encourage
the plants to make new growth as much as possible by
keeping the house closed, syringing overhead, and
haying a little fire heat for a fortnight.

MONTHLY CALENDAR.

bt

1]

THE RosE House.—Last month’s remarks are ap-
plicable here.

THE GERANIUM House.—Last month’s remarks
generally are applicable here.

THE PINK AND CARNATION HousrE.—By the end of
the month these will be over, and may be cleared out ;
and the room occupied with herbaceous Calceolarias.

THE CINERARIA HousE.—By the end of the month
these will have done flowering, and may then be re-
moved to a cold frame if seed is desired, and the plants
are choice sorts from which offsets are wanted. The
house may then be filled with Calceolarias.

MAY.

THe Earty Vinery.—The Grapes will now be
changing colour, and must have air night and day if a
good colour is wanted. Keep the shutters open night
and day in front of the house, close to the ground ; and
the ventilators at the top also, having an equal and
mild heat at the same time.

THe Late Vinery.—Last month’s remarks are
applicable here. The Strawberry pots on the floor or
otherwise will have done fruiting, and should be turned
out and planted in the ground, where they will bear
fruit for years to come.

THE PreacH Hovuse.—Last month’s remarks are ap-
plicable here. Daily syringing with clean soft water
and proper ventilation are the chief things to be done ;
with a timely thinning out of the fruit, allowig one
fruit (Peach or Nectarine) to a square foot, for extra fine
fruit. The same thing applies to the cordon Peaches
behind the screens on the wall.

P2

ye ip’ THE FORCING GARDEN.

Tae Pium House anD CHERRY. HousE.—Admit
air freely, and syringe daily.

THE GOOSEBERRY HOUSE.—Syringe copiously every
day.

THE CucuMBER HousEe.— Make fresh beds, and put
in strong young plants for summer work. No fire heat
is required for the summer. Ventilate at the top on
hot days, but cold draughts must be avoided. Shut up
early and syringe to keep up a humid atmosphere.

THE MELoN HousE.—Observe last month’s remarks,
and when the fruit is ripening be less liberal with the
water.

THE PLant Stove.—This month is an active time
for the growing of all plants and the development of
fine specimens. Due attention to early potting, train-
ing, stopping of the leaders, the creation of vapour,
checking of the insect tribes, &c., are the chief things
to attend to.

THE CAMELLIA HousE.—By the end of the month
——some before, and some a little later—the plants will
have made the terminal bud; then admit all the air
possible, and keep the house open night and day.

Tue Rose House.—Turn all the plants out by the
end of the month; and cut them back, re-pot, and
plunge them in some old tan, coal ashes, or sawdust on
a south border, and encourage them to make strong
wood.

THE Batsam House.—Admit all the air possible ;
give an abundance of water, and get all the light among
the plants that is possible.

Tue AspaRAGuUS Pir.—Discontinue heat, and re-
move the sashes entirely.

The other departments, as regards vegetables, may

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 213

by the end of the month be treated as for out-door
crops, except the Dwarf Kidney Beans, which must still
be protected.

JUNE.

THE Earty VINERY.—Last month’s remarks are
applicable here.

THE PeacH Hovusre.—Last month’s remarks are the
same for this month.

THE PLuM aNnpD CuEerry Hovuses.—Admit all the
air possible daily, and syringe freely.

THE CUCUMBER Hovusre.—Last month’s remarks are
applicable here.

The same may be said of the other departments.

JULY.

THE LaTeE VINERY.—The Grapes will now be filling
up, and should be tied out a little at the shoulders of
the bunches. Keep the house close until the berries
begin to change colour, except on very hot days and
the squares are large; then top ventilation should be
given from ten o’clock in the morning till three in the
afternoon, when the house should be closed, and the
floor watered, to keep up a certain amount of humidity, to
help the development of the berries and to keep down
the red spider.

THE PEacH House anp WALL PEacHES.—-Now is the
critical time in the management of these, to insure success
ultimately. Ifthe house and wall screens are not kept
open constantly night and day, the trees may be suffo-
cated, the red spider engendered, and the final end of
the trees not far off. Keep the syringe going daily;

214 THE FORCING GARDEN.

pinch in the laterals, and regulate the laterals on
eordons to one leader right and left, and thin out the
fruit.

THE CHERRY House.—The syringing may be less
than before, but it can never be wholly dispensed with
on account of aphides.

THe PLtum Hovuse.—Continue syringing, and admit
all the air possible night and day. Nip in all the
laterals as they make two or three inches of wood.

THE CUCUMBER AND MELON HovusEs.—Observe last
month’s remarks.

THe Puant Stove.—Everything will be in full
growth and have a gay appearance; the chief business
here will be to obtain healthy and handsome plants by
regulating all the leading growth, getting as much light
as possible on all sides of the plants, and the ripening
off of some of the early flowering kinds.

THE GERANIUM HovusE.—Cut down all very early
flowering plants; strike the short cuttings, and pot the
earlier struck cuttings intended for large and early
plants.

THE BatsamM Hovuse.—Admit all the air possible;
give an abundance of water, and set the plants so far
apart that the light can get at them all round, and
when they are well formed give them some weak liquid
manure.

THE CucUMBER HovusE.—No fire heat will be re-
quired from May till September.

AUGUST.
THe Late VINERY.—The Grapes will now require
an abundance of air day and night, on all sides, if

~

MONTHLY CALENDA®. 215

good-coloured fruit is wanted. Do not shut the
house at all, let the weather be what it may; but if
several days together continue cold, wet, and dull, light
a fire to raise the heat a little, but on no account close
the house. Keep the young wood thin.

THE PracH HousE AND WALL-SCREEN PEACHES.—
Last month’s remarks are applicable here asarule; but
discontinue the syringing, if the fruit is ripening. A
sharp eye must be kept upon the red spider ; and some
sulphur should be kept placed on several money slates,
so that the sun can play full upon them; this will give
off fumes sufficient to keep the spider in check (see
last month).

As regards all the other departments, last month’s
directions may be referred to.

SEPTEMBER.

THE Earty AND Late VINERIES.—The chief thing
now is to ripen the young wood thoroughly and to
bring the growth to a standstill. To promote this
withhold all stimulants, and place the sashes on the
frames, so as to prevent the rains falling on the border.
Admit all the air possible to the branches, so that the
ripening of the wood can be perfected by the influence
of the atmosphere.

Tue PracH HousE.—Daily watering of Peaches in
pots (but no syringing) must be done, if the fruit is
ripening. The cordon Peaches should be regulated in
the new wood by pinching in the laterals, but the
young wood right and left for next year’s fruiting
must not be pinched in, only the sub-laterals and all
such growth as is not required for fruiting.

216 THE FORCING GARDEN.

THE CHERRY HousE.—The Cherry is so liable to
the aphides pest that to cease syringing is to give
license for its attacks; syringing, therefore, must be
continued as much as possible, and all the air admitted
that it is practicable to get.

THE Pium HovsE.—Similar treatment to that of
the Cherry in the house, is necessary. Pinching in of
the laterals, and an abundance of air night and day
constantly, are essential to ensure success.

Tue CucuMBER HouseE.—Make good and substan-
tial fresh beds, in readiness for planting strong plants,
early next month, for winter work.

Tue Puiant Stove.—The chief thing now is to
ripen the young growth made through the summer
months, by keeping up a moderate fire heat and by
discontinuing to a great extent the amount of watering
to those plants that have done flowering and show
signs of rest.

THE GESNERACEOUS Hovuse.—Some of the inmates
of this department will be showing signs of rest; less
watering must therefore be given to those which have
done flowering, but not so as to immediately dry them
off; give enough to mature the new parts.

Tue MusHroom House.—Preparation must now
be made for making good beds for the winter. (See
p- 181.)

OCTOBER.

THe Preach HousE aND PracH WaLL.—By the
middle of the month cordon Peaches should be lifted ;
i.e. dig round each tree and free the roots, lift the tree,
and replant it just where it was. This checks the rank
growth and keeps them tame. Do not be afraid to do

MONTHLY CALENDAR. o2¥F

it, for they will be none the worse for the move. . This
applies to all Peach and Plum trees that are young and
have a tendency to make too much wood. ° The trees
in the house must be watered after the replanting.
Towards the end of the month new plantations may be
made. Keep the ventilators open.

THE PLUM AND CHERRY Hovuse.—Last month’s
remarks are applicable here.

THE CAMELLIA House.—Towards the end of the
month the sashes may be drawn up at night, but
admit all the air possible by day. Those in pots out of
doors may be brought in.

THE GERANIUM House.—Towards the middle of the
month the old plants may be shaken out of the pots
they have flowered in, and the ball reduced, and then
repotted into small pots, five-inch or six-inch, according
to the size of the plants, and then housed for the
winter. Give water very moderately, and all the air
possible daily.

THE CINERARIA House.—About the middle of the
month-—sooner or a little later, according to the state
of the weather, being careful of frost—clean over the
pots of young Cinerarias, and house them, admitting
air and syringing daily. Seedling Calceolarias should
he placed in the pit.

THE PLant Stove.—Now is the time to see that
all plants intended for forcing are thoroughly esta-
blished in the pots, and the wood well ripened. Keep up
a day temperature of 60° to 70°, and some plants may
now be introduced for early flowering.

THE PINK AND CaRNATION House.—In the begin-
ning of the month house the plants for forcing. (See

ps 211.)

218 THE FORCING GARDEN.

NOVEMBER.

THE Earty ViINERY.—The vines may now be all
finally pruned, dressed over with soot and sulphur and
soft soap, or a thick solution of Gishurst compound,
aud tied up ready for work.

THE Late VineRyY.—Early in the month new vines
may be planted. Prune those that are established,
and top-dress the roots of all of them with any manure
but stable manure, which should be studiously avoided
(see p. 22).

THE Preach House.—Moderate watering, but not
too much. If the plants have a tendency to grow
freely, keep them rather short of water, so as to bring
them to u state of rest. Open the ventilators every
day, and if the plants are less vigorous than they should
be, top-dress the borders with some mild manure.

THE PLUM AND CHERRY HovusEs.—Similar treat-
ment to that recommended for the Peach is applicable
here.

THE GOOSEBERRY House.—Towards the end of the
month prune the trees and well manure the ground,
and fork it over a few inches, but never dig immediately
on the roots near the stem.

THE CUCUMBER HousE.—Keep upa good brisk heat
of 70° or 75° with a decrease of 10° by night; keep the
house close, and fumigate on the least appearance of the
thrip, or dust the vines with tobacco powder; set the
fruit daily.

THE Rose House.—Introduce the plants and prune
them; keep up a moderate heat at first.

THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY AND CHRISTMAS Rose PIT.

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 219

—By the middle of the month clean over the surface of
both, and top-dress the Hellebores with a good dress-
ing of decayed stable manure made fine. Sow the
lilies with an inch of fine decomposed stable manure or
leaf mould, and sand over the surface; put on a slow
fire and place on the sashes. Make new plantations.

THE PINK AND CARNATION House.—Keep upa good
heat, and syringe the plants.

THE CINERARIA Hovuse.—Adumit all the air possible
and syringe every morning with clean soft water, and
should the aphides persist in troubling the plants,
smoke them in the morning.

THE GERANIUM HousE.—Admit as much air as pos-
sible, and give no more water than is absolutely neces-
sary to prevent the plants from flagging, keeping them
merely moving.

Tue EarLty PEA-FRAME.—Sow some ‘ Little Gem’
during the month.

Tue AsparRAGus Pit.—Top-dress the bed and put on
the sashes.

Sea-kale and Rhubarb may now be covered up for
forcing (see pp. 172; 175).

DECEMBER.

Tue Earty ViINERY.—The remarks for January are
applicable in this department and also in the Late
Vinery.

THe PEacH HousE AND WALL-SCREEN PEACHES.—
The remarks for January are applicable here also.

Toe PiuM AND CHERRY HovusE.—The remarks for
January are applicable here also.

The same may be said of the Gooseberry house.

220 THE FORCING GARDEN.

THE CucuMBER Hovuse.—The remarks for January
should be observed during this month likewise.

THE Meton House. —The remarks for January are
the same here.

THE PLANT HOousE, oR StovE.—The remarks for
January are applicable here also.

THE CAMELLIA House.—The remarks for January
are practicable here also.

THE Rose House.—I cannot do better than refer
the reader to the month of January for the work now
to be done here.

THE LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY AND CHRISTMAS Rose
Pit.—The observations for January are good here also.

THe HeatTH House.—The remarks made in January
are practicable here also.

THE GERANIUM HousE.—The same remarks made
in January are good now.

THE PINK AND CARNATION House.—The remarks
for January are practicable here also.

THE CINERARIA House.—Observe the remarks
made for January for this department.

THE GESNERACEOUS House.—The same remarks
for January are practicable here.

THE EarLy Potato FRaME.—In the middle of the
month plant some early sorts, such as ‘ Myatt’s Ash-
leaved Kidney,’ ‘ Early Frame,’ or any preferable kinds,
but do not be misled by bombast. I find there are no
earlier or better sorts than those named, but both re-
quire plenty of decayed or half-decayed leaf-mould to
grow them in.

THE EarLy PEA FRAME.—Manure the bed mode-
rately and sow ‘ Little Gem.’

THE AsPpAaRAGUS Pir.—See the remarks for January.

MONTHLY CALENDAR. 221

THe Earty Carrot FRramMe.—The remarks for
January are practicable here.

THE FORCING OF RHUBARB AND SEA-KALE.—The
remarks for these, and upon the Mushroom house, are
the same as for November.

~

INDEX.

—_+oo ——
AIR DIG
IR-DRAIN method of heat- ,; Canvas sashes for turf-pits, 168
ing, 2 Carnation, the, 113

Angle of roof for grape-house, 4

Aphides, the, 56, 96, 124

Asparagus beds, how to make them,
171

— forcing, 70, 71

— forcing-pit, 170-172

ACK WALLS for vinery, 10, 12
Balsam, the, 146

— its cultivation, 146, 147

— saving the seed, 147

— treatment of the seed, 146

Balsam-house, the, 145, 148, 149

Baskets, wire, for the forcing-house,
130

Boiler for the vinery, 11

— — — — cost of, 11

Border-protector for vines, &c., 7,
8, 12, 20-22

Building hot-houses, 2, 3

ALCEOLARIA, the, 136
— its cultivation, 136

— house, the, 132, 133, 137
Camellia, the, 101
— its cultivation, 101, 102
-— grown in pots, 102, 103
— planting the, 101
— house, the, 99, 102, 103
— — its construction, 99-101, 104
— — glazed with green glass, 100

— its cultivation, 113-117

— best manure for, 115

— varieties of, 117

— house, the, 111, 112

— — its construction, 111, 117,118

Carrot, the, 177

— forcing, 177, 178

— frame, the, 177

Cherry, the, 53

— the cordon trained, 54, 55

— pruning the, 55

— soil for the, 53

— house, the, 52

— — arrangement of 56, 47

Cineraria, the, 134

— its cultivation, 135

— house, the, 132, 133, 137

Colouring grapes, 5-7, 27

Conservatory, the, 154

— its construction, 155

Cucumber house, the, 64—67

- — arrangement of, 65

Cucumbers, growing, 67-72, 163

— grown in pea frames, 163

— — — tanks, 80

— watering, 164

Cut flowers for the market, how to
pack them, 98

| iD ape borders for peaches,

&c., 46

224 INDEX.
DOU MAN
Double glazing without putty, | Gooseberry, grown in pots, 61, 63
13-16 — pruning, 60

— — its advantages, 29, 107
Dwarf-bean house and pit, the, 179,
180

ERNERY (See Fern house).
Fern house, the, 105
-— — situation of, 105, 106
— — ventilation of, 107, 108
Ferns, cultivation of, 106-108
— best soil for, 108
— — way to propagate, 109
— — — —raise new sorts, 109,
110
— different kinds of, 108-110
French beans, 178
— — forcing, 179, 180
— — — frames for, 179
Fruit forcing, secret of success in, 2
Fruits, various modes of growing, 1
Fungus produced from new tan, 140

AS stoves for plant houses not
good, 2

General plant forcing house, 138

—-——-— —its construction; 159;
140

— — — -— flowering plants and
shrubs for, 141-144

— — — — — — their cultivation,
141, 148, 144

Geranium, the, 120

— choice varieties of, 120

— cultivation of, 123

— guano bad for, 124

Geranium house, the, 120-122, 124

Gesneraceous house, the, 126

— — temperature of, 127

— — yarious plants tobe grown in,
126-131

Glass houses, 37

— — cheapest way to build, 37

Glazing, double, 13-16

— single, 15, 16

— grape houses, &c., 13-16, 63

Gooseberry, the, 58

— cultivation of, 58-61

— house, the, 57, 62, 63

— — its arrangement, 59, 62

Grape colouring, 5-7, 27

— growing, by late Mr. Rivers, 32

— house, the, 4

— — glazing, 13

Grapes grown in pots, 32

-— — — — its advantages, 34

— — — — their treatment, 33

— — — — yarieties best suited for,
34

— the marketing of, 35

Greengage, the, 48, 62

Green glass for growing camellias,
&e., 100

— — for growing ferns, 166, 107

Guano, 70, 96, 108, 124, 136

EATH, the, 150
— cultivation of, 151-153

— soil requisite for, 151
— when to water, 153
— house, the, 150, 154
Helleborus, the, $4, 88
— its cultivation, 88, 89
— soil for, 86
—- varieties of, 88
Hothouse builders, 2
How to prune the vine, 22, 25

IQUID manure, 29, 32, 61, 103,
14]
Lily-of-the-valley, the, 84
— — — — its cultivation, 88, 89
— — — — soil for, 86
— — — — pit, the, 84-87
— —-—— — cost of construction

ANURE for the camellia, 103
— — — carnation, 115
— — — carrot, 178
— — — cucumber, 164
— — — gooseberry, 61

INDEX. 2295
MAN PRU
Manure for the onion, 190, 191 | Moss roses, forcing, 97, 98
— — — peach, 46 Mushroom, the, 181-188
— — — pink, 115 _ Mushroom-bed, the, 183, 184
— — — rhubarb, 175 | Mushroom-house, the, 181-186
— — — rose, 96 | — its construction, 182-187, 188,

— — — vine, 19, 29, 32
Marketing of grapes, 35
Mats, straw, 185

|
— — how to make them, 185,186 |

Melon, cultivation of the, 74-77, 80
— seeds, 77

— varieties of the, 76
— the water, 77

Melon-house, the, 73
Melon, the, in pits and frames, 77,78
— — grown in tanks, 80 |
Melons, growing early, 73, 74
Monthly Calendar for the forcing
garden, 198-221
Asparagus-pit, the |
Balsam house, the
Caleeolaria-house, the
Camellia-house, the
Cineraria-house, the

Cucumber-house, the

Dwarf-bean house, the

Early carrot house, the

Early pea-frame and glasses,
the

Early potato house and frame,
the

Early vinery, the

Fern-house, the

Geranium-house, the

Gesneraceous-house, the

Gooseberry-house, the

Heath-house, the

Late vinery, the

Lily-of-the-valley and Christ-
mas-rose pit

Melon-house, the

Mushroom-house, the

Peach-house and wall peaches

Pink and carnation-house, the

Plant forcing-house, the

Plum-house and cherry-house

Rhubarb forcing

Rose forcing-house, the

Sea-kale forcing

189
Mushroom-spawn, 189

Nees of soda, 70
2s

NION, the, 190
— — growing, 191-1938
— — varieties of, 190
Open wall-peach protector, 41-44
Orchard-houses, 37
— cheapest way to build, 37
Oxygen necessary to colour grapes, 7

EA-FRAME, the, 161
— its construction, 162, 163

Pea-glasses, 164, 165
Peach house, the, 37, 45
— its arrangement, 39
Peach and grape-house combined, 40
Peach-protector, the, 41-44
Peaches, planting, 45
— sending to market, 36
— soil for, 45
Pink, the, 113
— its cultivation, 118-117
— best manure for, 115
— varieties of, 117
— forcing-house, the, 111, 112
— — its construction, 111, 117, 118
— and carnation-house, the, 111
Plum, cultivation of the, 49-52
Plum-house, the, 47
— its arrangement, 49
Pot plums, 39, 49
Pot vines, 33
— -— their treatment, 33
— — varieties, 34
Potato, the, 156
Potato-planting, 157
Potato forcing-house, the 157-160
Pruning the vine, 22-26

2260

RAD

een the, 166
Radishes. how to get them
early, 166
Red-spider, the, 71, 74, 180
Rhubarb, forcing, 70, 175
— where to plant, 176
Rivers, the late Mr. Thos., 1, 32, 37
Root-protector for vine border, 7, 8
Rose, cultivation of the, 96-98
— manure for the, 96
~~ pruning the, 94-96
— varieties of the, 95, 97
— forcing the, 91, 93, 94, 97
— — care required in, 91
— — best classes for, 92
— forcing-house, the, 91-94

{| EA-KALE, 172
— forcing, 173, 174
Single glazing, 15, 16
Sliding shutters for vinery, &c., 6, 9
Soot as a manure, 61, 70
Straw mats, 185, 186
Sulphur as an insecticide, 74, 78

| ge bad for growing plants in,
140, 177

Tank for cucumbers and melons,
80-83

Texas, wild grapes of, 5

— water-melons of, 77

INDEX.

woo

Thrip, the, 69, 71, 74, 78

Tomato, the, 46

Turf-pits for early radishes, 167, 168
Turfing-iron, the, 167

Ages for grape-house,
6, 8

Vine, cultivation of the, 4, 17-22

— forcing the, 27

— summer pruning the, 28

— winter pruning the, 22

— the, thinning out the berries, 28

— border protector, the, 7, 8, 12,
20-22

Vines, liquid manure for, 29, 32

— planting, 17

— roots of, their treatment, 17, 18,
19, 21, 30

Vinery, cost of, 9

— situation of, 9

— the late, 29-31

ALL of vinery, 10
— cost of, 10
Watering plants, 194, 195
— — how to do it, 196
Winds, effect of, on vinery, 9
Wire baskets for the forcing-house,
130

Woodlouse, the, 181 18

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Civil Engineering Design. Barber. Demy 8vo . = lee 4 7s 6a
Civil Engineering Geology. Fox. Royal 8vo pte 2 - . 188
Clerk of Works. Metson. Crown 8vo . . . . . 8s 6d
Clockmaking : Past and Present. Gordon. Demy 8vo Meade Ready
Clock Repairing and Making. Garrard. Crown 8vo . ; 6g
Coal and Iron Industries of the United sang * Meade. 8vo s1 88

Coal Mining. Glover. Crown 8vo . ¢ : 5 . 2: )
Coal Mining, Practical. Cockin. Crown Bvo : ‘ . 5 . 69
Coal Mining Notes and Formulee for Students. Merivale. Small
Crown 8vo . 2 Ss 6d
Coeoanut Cultivation. Coghlan ead ‘Hinchley. Se! Crown 8vo. 4s

Coking Practice. Byrom and Christopher—
Volume I. Raw Materials and Coke. Demy 8vo - « 10s 6d

Volume II. By-Products. Demy 8vo . J - 10s 6d
Colliery Working and Management. Bulman and Redmayne.

Medium 8vo . : : . : ‘ : New Ed. Preparing
Colorimetric Analysis. Snell. Demy 8v0 , : ; : . 10s 6a
Combustion in the Gas Producer. Korevaar. Demy 8vo + . . 15s

Commerce, Lessons in. Gambaro. Crown 8vo . B é ; 2 og
Commercial Correspondent, Foreign. Baker. Crown 8vo. i %s 6a

Compressed Air Work and Diving. Boycott. Medium 8vo . 10s6d
Gonerete : its Nature and Uses. Sutcliffe. Crown 8vo . - 10s 6a
Gonerete for House, Farm, and Estate. Ballard. Demy 8vo. &s 6d
Confectioner, Modern Flour. Wells. Crown 8vo 2 é ;
Confectionery, Ornamental. Wells. Crown 8vo . A 2 ‘ 7s 6d
Continuous Railway Brakes. Reynolds. 8vo * , F u . 9
Controllers for Electric Motors. James. Demy 8vo . , é . Bis
Cotton Industry. Crabtree. Crown 8vo. : > 3 ‘ 3 . 6s
Creation, The Twin Records of. Le Vaux. 8vo. 4 " é ihe

Curves, Tables of Tangential Angles and Multiples. Beazeley . . ba
Dairying (British and Colonial). Sutherland Thomson. Demy 8vo 9g
Dairying Industry. Sutherland Thomson. Demy 8vo ; - 108 6d

Damp Walls. Blake. Crown8vo . = : : , é Ss 8s 6d
Dangerous Goods. Aeby. Royal 8vo . : 3 hein 3 . 80s
Dangerous Goods. Phillips. Crown 8vo c E : : - 10s 6d
Decorator’s Assistant. Small Crown 8vo : : ‘ 2s éd

Deep-Level Mines of the Rand. Denny. Royal Goa Z Fi . 258
Dentistry (Mechanical). Hunter. Crown 8vo . , 5 ‘i . 6s
Diesel Engine. Wells & Wallis-Tayler. Demy 8vo . . . . 15s
Dog Book (Complete). Bruette: Large Crown 8vo . é J - 16s

Dredges and Dredging. Prelini. Royal 8vo 3 é . 21g
Drilling for Gold and Other Minerals. Denny. Medinm 8vo - 12s 6d
Dynamo (How to Make). Crofts. Crown 8vo . : ‘ “ 2s 6d
Dynamo Electric Machinery. Hausmann. Demy 8vo : 21s

Dynamos (Alternating and Direct Current). Sewell. Lge. Cr. ae 7s 6d
Dynamos (Management of). Lummis-Paterson. Crown 8vo . ‘

Ali Published Prices ave net.

Published by Crosby Lockwood and Son 5

Earthenware, The Manufacture of. Sandeman. Crown 8vo . +
Earthwork Diagrams. Erskine-Murray and Kirton. 5s; ne ee 7s 6d

Earthwork Manual. Graham. 18mo .. - 8s 6d
Earthwork Tables. Broadbent and Campin. Crown Bvo . ernie, 2
Earthwork Tables. Buck. On a sheet . F : : - - 8s 6d
Electric Light. Urquhart. Crown 8vo . F z F ae
Electric Light Fitting. Urquhart. Crown 8vo . . . . . 58
Electric Light for Country Houses. Knight. Crown 8vo. . Is 6d
Electric Lighting and Starting for Motor Cars. Cross. Demy 8vo 28s
Electric Lighting and Heating. Walker. Fcap. 8vo . : : - ia
Electric Motors. Crocker and Arendt. Medium 8vo. . J - 18s
Electric Power Conductors. Del Marr. Large Crown 8vo. - 12s 6d
Electric Power Conductors. Perrine. Medium 8vo. . ‘ <) Sse
Electric Power Stations. Klingenberg. Crown 4to . 5 285
Electric Power Station: A = 000-Kilowatt Power Staiion. Klingen-
berg. Crown 4to. 21s
Electric Spark Ignition in “Internal Combustion Engines, eee
Medium 8vo . ‘ Gs
Electric Traction and Transmission Engineering. \ Sheldioes aa
Hausmann. Large Crown 8vo. : . 21s
Electric Wiring Diagrams and Switchboards. Eee * CxO 8vo 12s 6d
Electrical Circuits and Connections. Bowker. Medium 8vo., ‘ . 15s
Electrical Dictionary. Sloane. Large Crown 8vo : ee
Electrical Engineering (Elementary). Alexander. Crown 8vo . . 5s
Electrical Engineering. Sewell. Large Crown 8vo . : 3 7s 6d
Electrical Horology. Langman and Ball. Crown 8vo E : 7s 6d
Electrical Installation Work. Havelock. Demy 8vo. . ; - 15s
Electrical Transmission of Energy. Abbott. Royal 8vo . ; . 380s
Electrical Transmission of Energy—Three-Phase Transmission.
Brew. Demy 8vo : : New Ed. Pieparing
Electricity as Applied to Mining. Lupton. een 8vo . . 12s 6d
Electricity in Factoriesand Workshops. Haslam. Large Cr. 8vo. 8s 6d
Ejectro-Plating. Urquhart. Crown 8vo. = 3 ; a A %s 6d
Electro-Plating. Watt. Crown 8vo 2 : - ; .
Electro-Plating and ieee aanRS of Metals. "Watt and Philip.
Large Crown 8vo. ee ae
Embroiderer’s Book of Design. SBetranstie. ‘cles: 8vo. : - cae
Engineering Drawing. Maxton and Malden. Crown 8vo. ‘ 8s 6d
Engineering Progress (1863-6). Humber. Imperial 4to, half
morocco . Price £12 12s; each volume, £8 8s
Engineering Workshop Handbook. Pull. Royal 16mo ‘ 8s 6d
Engineering Workshop Notes and Data. Pull. Pott 16mo - 2s 6d
Engineer’s Handbook (Practical). Hutton. Medium 8vo. : . Bis
Engineer’s Measuring Tools. Pull. Crown 8vo . ‘ . 4s 6d
Engineer’s and Millwright’s Assistant. Templeton. 18mo ; ata a
Engineer’s Year-Book. Kempe. Crown 8vo : 3 Annually 308

Engineering Standards Association’s Reports and Specifications.
Separate List on Application
Entropy as a Tangible Conception. Wheeler. Demy 8vo Z 8s 6d

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6 A List of Books

Excavation (Earth and Rock). Prelini. Royal 8vo . I . 218
Explosives—High Explosives. Colver. Royal 8vo : . £3 3s
Explosives—Nitro-Explosives. Sanford. Demy 8vo . = : - 12s
Factory Accounts. Garcké and Fells. Demy 8vo 2 4s
Farm Account Book. Woodman. Folio Me
Farm Gas Engines. Brate. Crown 8vo. 3 . 6s 6d
Farmers’ Tables and Memoranda. Francis. Waistcoat- -pocket size 2s 6d
Farmers’ Labour and Account Book. Dalley. Fcap. Folio . . 6s

Farming, Practical. Shepherd. Demy 8vo . . 5s
Fertilizing Materials, Mining and Manufacture. Hoya! Crome ae . 128
Fire Protection in Buildings. Holt. Demy 8vo. ‘ Z ; ee
Forcing Garden. Wood. Crown 8vo . 3 F 3 : . 4
Foreshores. Latham. Crown 8vo . . : : : : E 2s 6d
Forestry, Practical. Curtis. Crown 8vo : - a . 63
Forestry : Complete Yield Tables for. Maw. Oblong : « ie-6d
French Conversation, Guide to. De Fivas. 32mo . : ‘ 2s 6d
French Grammar: De “Fivas’ New Grammar of “French
Grammars . : : : é : : : z E 2s 6d
Key to the Above ; : : : : ; 3 = 5 8s 6d
French for Beginners. De Fivas. Sm. Crown 8vo . 4 : ls 6d
French Language : Introduction. De Fivas. Crown 8vo . B 2s 6d
French Polishing. Bitmead. Crown 8vo. . . : P ¢ 2s 6d
Fretcutting, The Art of Modern. Makinson. Crown 8vo . : 2s 6d
Founders’ Manual. Payne. Crown 8vo. ; : : s : . 24s
Fruit Growing. Douglass. Large Crown 8vo _ F : : 7s 6d
Gas Engine Handbook. Roberts. Crown 8vo . F -. 12s 6d
Gas Engineers’ Pocket-Book. O’Connor. Crown 8vo New Ed. Preparing
Gas Manufacture, Chemistry of. Royle. Demy 8vo. : ; . 16s
Gas Meters. Gilbert. Crown 8vo . . : : : ; - Ys 6d
Gas and Oil Engine Management. Bale. Crown 8vo : . 8s 6d
Gasfitting and Appliances. Briggs and Henwood. Crown 8vo - 6s
Geometry of Compasses. Byrne. Crown 8vo : 2 : . 8s Gd
Geometry for Technical Students. Sprague. Crown 8vo . - . 28
Gold Extraction, Cyanide Process of. Eissler. 8vo . : 8s 6d
Gold, Metallurgy of. Eissler. Medium 8vo . 4 : ‘ 4 . 258
Gold Mining Machinery. Tinney. Medium 8vo . : A . 12s 6d
Gold Working: Jeweller’s Assistant. Gee. Crown 8vo . 4 8s 6d
Goldsmith’s Handbook. Gee. Crown 8vo . : f . 6s
Granites and our Granite Industries. Harris. Crown tegen 5 3s
Grazing. The Complete Grazier, and Farmer’s and Cattle Breeder's
Assistant. Youatt, Fream and Bear. Royal 8vo . . 862
Hand Sketching for Mining Students. Lodge and Fwaed
Oblong Demy 4to yt ea te . eee . os
Handrailing and Staircasing. Collings. ‘Crown 8v0 Seah we 8s 6d

Bandybooks for Handicrafts. Hasluck. Crown 8vo.
Metal Turner’s Handybook : ; : : 4 F ‘ ls 6d
Wood Turner’s Handybook. é 4 : r _ B ‘ ls 6d
Watch Jobber’s Handybook ‘ ® > A Z ‘ ls 6d

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Handybooks for Handicrafts—(contd.)

Pattern Maker’s Handybook F , , P F n : ls 64
Mechanic’s Workshop Handybook . x : : s Ils 6d
Model Engineer’s Handybook . ‘ ‘ s a : 3 ls 6d
Clock Jobber’s Handybook . : "i 5 ‘ é : - ls 6d
Cabinet Worker’s Handybook . ‘ : é : : 5 ls 6d
Woodworker’s Handybook . . . 2 ; : : : ls 6d
Heat, Expansion of Structures by. Keily. Crown 8vo . . . 4
Hoisting Machinery. Horner. Crown 8vo . é ‘ ‘ ‘ 8s 6d
Horticultural Note-Book. Newsham. Fcap. 8vo . . 7s 6d
Hot Water and Steam Heating and Ventilation. King. Med. Bvo - 2ls
House Owner’s Estimator. Simon. Crown 8vo . é . 4s
House Painting. Davidson. Crown 8vo : %s 6d
House Planning—How to Plan a House. Samson. Geawal 8vo . 6s
House Property. Tarbuck. 12mo . 2 : ‘ 7s 6d

Houses for the Community. James and Weraae Royal 4to. 81s 6d
Houses, Villas, Cottages, and Bungalows for Britishers and Americans

Abroad. Samson. Demy 8vo : ee) | 5
Mluminating and Missal Painting. Whithard. Cow 8vo . 68
Qlumination, Art of. Delamotte. Small 4to ake «|... eae
Inflammable Gas and Vapour in the Air. Clowes. Crown 8vo . 6s
Interest Calculator. Campbell. Crown 8vo.. y a= Goes
Internal Combustion Engines. Carpenter. Medium 8vo . ‘ . 80s
Internal Combustion Engines. Institute of Marine Engineers.

Demy 8vo . ‘ : : . 128 6d
Inwood’s Tables of Tatoo and Mortality. Schooling. iMedaen 8vo 2is
Iron and Metal Trades Companion. Downie : : «Ss
Iron Ores of Great Britain and Ireland. Kendall. Cooma 8vo.. 18s
Iron-Plate Weight Tables. Burlinson and Simpson. sie ‘ ‘ . 25s
Irrigation (Pioneer). Mawson. Demy 8vo . . 12s 6d
digs, Tools and Fixtures (Drawing and pen, Gates eae 8vo. 8s 6d
Journalism. Mackie. Crown 8vo . ‘ : : 2s 6d
Labour Disputes, Conciliation and Arbitration in. jeans. Crown 8vo 2s 64a
Land Ready Reckoner. Arman. Crown 8vo : : : ‘ . 4s
Land Valuer’s Assistant. Hudson. Royal 32mo eee . 4s 6a
Lathe Design, Construction, and Operation. Bess Med. 8vo . 188
Lathe Work. Hasluck. Crown 8vo d : . Ve

Law : Every Man’s Own Lawyer. A Barrister. itaree Crowe 8vo 15a
Laxton’s and Lockwood’s Builder’s Price Book. Crown 8vo Annually Gs 6d

Lead, Metallurgy of. Eissler. Crown 8vo . ~ : 3 : . 15s
Leather Chemistry. Harvey. Demy 8vo . : ° : : - 15s
Leather Manufacture. Watt. 8vo. : = : : . 15s
Letter Painting. Badenock and Prior. Cora Bvo é - os
Light and Colour in pa as and Pee Latics

Demy 8vo . k . : 2 . 16s
Light and Work. Baciiect eae Bye : ; g : . . oF

Lightning Conductors, Modern. Hedges. Medium 8vo . . . 8s
Limes and Cements. Dancaster. Large Crown 8vo . . . 7s 6d

All Published Prices ave net.

8 A List of Books

Liquid Fuels for Internal Combustion Engines. Moore. wias 8vo 15s
Leeomotive Engine. Weatherburn. Crown 8vo . . 3s 6d

Loeomotive Engine Development. Stretton. Crown 8vo . ‘ . 58
Machine Shop Tools. Van Dervoort. Medium 8vo . ‘: Z . 258
Magnetos for Automobilists. Bottone. Crown 8vo . 2s 6d

Marble and Marble Working. Renwick. Medium 8vo “ - lbs

Marble Decoration. Blagrove. Crown 8vo . 5 f 8s 6d
Marine Diesel Oil Engines. Sothern. Medium 8vo . ee . 21s
Marine Engineer’s Pocket-Book. Wannan. 18mo . é d %s 6d
Marine Engine Indicator Cards. Sothern. Medium 8vo . . << Aes
Marine Engineers’ “‘ Verbal’? Notes and Sketches. Sothern:

Medium 8vo . : : : ; ; ‘ ‘ J s 40s
Marine Engineering. Wheeler. Royal 8vo. In 2 volumes,

Wel zy 345 : ; : P : : ; : . 18s
Marine Engines and Boilers. Bauer. Medium 8vo . ‘ -” « Bs
Marine Gas Engines. Clark. Crown 8vo . ; ' - 10s 6d
Marine Steam Turbine. Sothern. Medium 8vo . ‘ . ooo aig
Marine Steam Turbines. Bauer. Medium 8vo . P ° - 12s 6d
Marine Works. Latham. Demy8vo . : : : ‘ ; . 16s
Masonry. Purchase. Royal 8vo . f ‘ ‘ a ie
Masonry Dams from Inception to Completion. Courtney. 8vo 10s 6d
Measures (British and American). Foley. Folio ‘ - 8s 6a
Mechanical Engineering Terms iLooknenee Dictionary of).

Horner. Crown 8vo . 9s
Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material. Zimmer. Royal 8vo 63s
BMeehanics Condensed. Hughes. Crown 8vo. ‘ ; : 2s 6d
Mechanics of Air Machinery. Weisbach. Royal fone j 258
Mechanics’ Workshop Companion. Templeton & Hutton. Fcp. “Sen "9 6d
Mercantile Calculation Tables. Kirchner. Demy 4to. re £3 8s
Metal Plate Work (Principles and Processes). Barrett. Crown 8vo $s 6d
Metal-Turning. Horner. Large Crown 8vo : : ‘ . 12s 6d
Metallurgical Analysis (Technical Methodsof). Scott. Royal8vo 42s
Hetals and their Alloys. Brannt and Vickers. Royal 8vo . . £2 10s
Metrology. Jackson. Large Crown 8vo p on : . 12s 8d
Military Observation Balloons. Widmer. Crown 8vo 3 : . 16s
Milling Machines. Horner. Medium 8vo . F F : é . 15s
Mine Drainage. Michell. Royal 8vo . ; : . . : . 254
Hine Rescue Work and Organization. Bulman and Mills.

Demy 8vo . err

Mine Wagon and its Lubrication. Pamely. Medium 8vo. . 7s 6d
Minerals and Mining (Earthy). Davies. Crown 8vo. b . 12s 6a
Minerals and Mining (Metalliferous). Davies. Large Crown 8vo 12s 6d
Miners and Metallurgists, Pocket-Book for. Power. ca 8vo. %s 6d

Mining, British, Hunt. Super Royal 8vo . J Z » . 428
Mining Calculations. O’Donahue. Crown 8vo . 98s 6d
Mining Examination Questions (1,200). Kerr. Demy Svo 2 2s 6d
Mining, Physics and Chemistry of. Byrom. Crown 8vo . ‘ és

Mining : Machinery for Meialliferous Mines. Davies. Medium aaa 258
All Published Prices are net.

Published by Crosby Lockwood and Son 9

Motor Bodywork. Butler Crowngto . he aes : F 22 12s 6d
Motor Car and Coach Painting. Oliver. Crown 4to . : . 28s 6a
Motor Car Catechism. Knight. Crown 8vo. : ee : 8s 6d
Motor Car Construction. Brewer. Demy 8vo . at

Motor Car Mechanism and Management. Shepherd. tenn 8vo0 4s 6d
Motor Cycle Overhauling. Shepherd. Crown 8vo F . é 2s 6d

Motor Lorry Design Construction. Schaefer. Medium 8vo : - 183
Motor Tyres. Ferguson. Crown 8vo . . oct Da ip ee 8s 6d
Motor Vehicles. Fraser and Jones. Medium Bvo P . 16s
Naval Architect’s and Shipbuilder’s Pocket-Book. Mackeaw aad
Woollard. Fcap. 8vo. : - 16s

Oil-Field Exploration and Development. Thompson Royall 8vo
Nearly Ready
Oil Palm Cultivation. Milligan. Small Crown 8vo . : : - 8s
Ore Deposits of South Africa. Johnson.
Part Il.—The Witwatersrand and Pilgrimsrest Goldfields and

Similar Occurrences. Demy 8vo . mins ‘ y ae ie
Packing-Case Tables. Richardson. Oblong ato . 3 2 ae
Painting for the Imitation of Woods and Marbles. Van der Burg.

Royal Folio . ‘ . £3 3s
Paints : Their Chemistry and Technology. Toch. ” Royal 8vo - aoe
Paper and its Uses. Dawe. Crown 8vo ofa |! dat de ce
Paper-Making. Clapperton. Crown 8vo : : : : , 7s 6d
Paper-Making. Watt. Crown 8vo. . ‘ : : ‘ 8s 6d
Paper-Making, Chapters on. Beadle. 5 vols. Crown 8vo. Bes vol. 6s
Pastrycook and Confectioner’s Guide. Wells. Crown 8vo. . 2s
Pattern Making. Barrows. Crown 8vo. , ‘ 12s 6d
Pattern Making. Horner. Demy 8vo ... . New Ed. Nearly Ready
Perfumes and Cosmetics. Askinson, Medium 8vo0 : s : . 30s
Petrol Air Gas. O’Connor. Crown 8vo. : : : : : 2s 6d
Petroleum and its Substitutes, ae of. Tinkler and Chal-

lenger. Medium 8vo . - le
Petroleum, Oil Fields of Russia and the Russian Petroleum

Industry. Beeby Thompson. Royal 8vo . ; : : «Sig
Pigments. An Artists’ Manual. Standage. Crown 8vo . . . 8g
Pigs and Bacon Curing. Davies. Crown 8vo . ; ? ‘ 4s 6d
Plumbing. Blake. Crown 8vo. Intwovols. . : . Each 6s

Portland Cement, The Modern Manufacture of. West. Royal aes
New Ed. Preparing

Portuguese Dictionary. Elwes. Demy r2mo : ate ee 8s 6d
Pot Plant Culture. Davidson. Crown 8vo. . . x e oe 5
Poultry Farming : Commercial. Toovey. Crown aa sas 2 . 6s
Producer Gas Practice (American) and Industrial Gas Engineering.
Latta. Demy 4to : : : ‘ : ae Gat! leds > ae
Propagation and Pruning. Newsham. Demy 8vo . . . . 6s
Prospecting. Merritt. Fcap. 8vo . 4 4 ; 3 F ona
Prospecting for Gold. Rankin. Fcap. 8vo : ‘ : - ts 6d
Prospector’s Handbook. Anderson. Small Crown 8vo — ‘oa

All Published Prices are ne.

Io A List of Books

Pumps and Pumping. Bale. Crown 8vo . 4 5 on ae
Punches, Dies, and Tools. Woodworth. Medinta ee & 3 . 258
Quantities and Measurements. Beaton. Crown 8vo. g ; 2s 64
Radio and High-Frequency Currents. Larner. Crown 8vo 8s 6é
Radiodynamics. Miessner. Crown 8vo . A 3 é é = . 12s
Radio-Communication, Elements of, Stone. Crown 8vo . " . 15s
Railway Points and Crossings. Dobson. Crown 8vo, x 3 see
Rating and Assessment. Webb. Demy 8vo ‘ : : : . 15s
Receipts, Formulas, and Processes. Hiscox. Medium 8vo j 2 Bis

Recoil of Guns. Rausenberger. Translated by Slater. Demy 8vo 12s 6d
Refrigerating and Ice-Making Pocket-Book. Wallis-Tayler. Cr. 8vo 5s
Refrigeration, Cold Storage, and Ice-Making. Wallis-Tayler. Med. 8vo 15s

Reinforced Concrete Bridges. Scott. Royal 8vo. . . Nearly Ready
Reinforced Concrete Design Simplified. Gammon & Dyson. Crown 4to 15s
Rivers without Embankments. Leete. Large Crown 4to. P . 80s
Road Engineering. Goldsmith. Demy $vo. : : . Nearly Ready
Roads : The Making of Highroads. Carey. Crown 8vo . ‘ 8s 6d
Roof Carpentry. Collings. Crown 8vo . 5 2 5 . 2s 6d
Rothamsted Experiments. Tipper. Crown 8vo . 4s
Rubber : its Cultivation and Preparation. Johnson. N ew Ea. "Preparing
Rubber Hand Stamps. Sloane. Square 8vo : F 7s 6d
Rubber Planter’s Note-Book. Braham. Fcap. 8vo . A 2 . 58
Safe Railway Working. Stretton. Crown 8vo . ‘ 2 5 4s 6a
Safe Use of Steam. By an Engineer . . «5 sue
Sailmaking. Sadler. 4to . : . 12s 6d
Sanitation, Water Supply, and Sewage Disposal of Country Houses.
Gerhard. Crown 8vo . F ‘ ; : . 12s 6a
Savouries and Sweets. Miss Allen. Feap. 8vo0 ie ote ae - as
Saw Mills. Bale. Demy 8vo . ‘ ; : ‘ ; : 3 . 15s
Screw Cutting for Engineers. Pull. Crown 8vo. : : : 2s 6d
Screw Threads. Hasluck. Waistcoat-pocket size . 2
Sea Terms, Phrases, and Words. Pirrie. Fcap. 8vo. ; g 7s 6a
Sewage, Purification of. Barwise. Demy 8vo . ; F . 12s 6a
Sewerage Hydraulics. Coleman. Demy 8vo . : t : - 10s 6a
Sewerage of Sea Coast Towns. Adams. Demy 8vo . : ; ee
Sewerage Systems. Watson and Herbert. Royal 8vo 3 . 12s 64

Sheet Metal Worker’s Instructor. Warn and Horner. Crown 8vo
New Edition Nearly Ready
Shipbuilding Industry of Germany. Felskowski. Super Royal 4to 103s 6d

Silver. The Metallurgy of. Eissler. Crown 8vo . : : - 12s 6a
Slide Rule. Hoare. Sm. Crown 8vo . : F 3 : ’ .ardy
Smoley’s Tables—1. Logarithms and Squares. : : : F . 22s
2. Slopes and Rises. = : . . 243
3. Logarithmic-Trigonometric Tables i “ 68
In one vol. complete. Thumb Index ‘ ¥ : 40s

Soap: Modern Soap and Detergent Industry. Martin. coe 8vo
Vol: 1 Theory and Practice of Soap Making = : 36s

Vol. 2 Special Soaps and Detergent Compositions Neely Ready
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Soap-Making. Watt. Crown 8vo . : ‘ ‘. ‘ J age
Soap-Making Manual. Thomssen. 6” x “43° of a
Soaps, Candles, and Glycerine. Lamborn. Meter Sve 2 ; 54g
Solubilities of Inorganic and Organic Substances. Seidell. Med. 8vo 45s
Spanish Dictionary. Elwes. Demy 12mo . - ¢ 3 o Gg
Spanish Grammar and Reader. Korth. Fcap. Sy : : F 23 6d
Specifications in Detail. Macey and Allen. Royal 8vo . é - 80e-
Specifications for Practical Architecture. Bartholomew. Revised

by Rogers. 8vo . x : . 16s

Stanley, William Ford: His Life aad Work. Inwards. Demy Svc 2s 6d
Stationary Engines. Hurst. Crown 8vo : Q3
Steam: The Application of Highly Superheated Steam és Loco-

motives. Garbe. Edited by Robertson. Medium 8vo . . 8s
Steam Engine. Haeder and Powles. Crown 8vo 4 3 - 10s 6a
Steam Engine. Goodeve. Crown 8vo . 4 : ‘ 6s 6d
Steam Engine (Portable). Wansbrough. Po 8vo ae 22h 6s
Steam Engineering in aiid and Practice. Hiscox and Horse
Medium 8vo . : : . : - . 2is
Steel Research Committee’s "Report. " Feap. Folie 4 : - 81s 6d
Steel Square Applied to Roof Construction. Draper. Crown 8yo Qs 6@
Steel Thermal Treatment. Urquhart. Medium 8vo . . 2:
Steel: Elliott’s Weights of Steel.- Medium 8vo . : : . £21038
Stone Quarrying—Practical. Greenwell and Elsden. Med. 8vo . 15s
Stone Working Machinery. Bale. Crown 8vo . - 10s 6d
Strains, Handy Book for the Calculation of. Humber. yess 8vo 7s 6d
Strains on Structures of Ironwork. Shields. 8vo : , es
Streamline Kite Balloons. Sumner. Medium 8vo : : - 10s 6d
Structural Engineer’s Pocket Book. Andrews. Crown 8vo. : 18s
Submarine Torpedo Boat. Hoar. Crown 8vo . : : : . 128
Superficial Measurement. Hawkings. Crown 8vo : = : . 4s
Survey Practice. Jackson. 8vo é : : : : : . 12s 6d
Surveying. Whitelaw. Demy 8vo . : : . oe a
Surveying for Settlers. Crosley. Small eS Byo 2 P < 7
Surveying Sheets for Professional and Educational Use. Oblong
Royal 8vo_ . : aoa ‘ : = ; ls 6d
Surveying : Land and Barineerine. Baker and Leston, . Nearly Ready
Surveying, Land and Marine. Haskoll. Large Crown 8vo ‘ oi
Surveying, Land and Mining. Leston. Large Crown 8vo . 8s 6d
Surveying, Practical. Usill and Leston. Large Crown 8vo : 7s 6d
Surveying with the Tacheometer. Kennedy. Demy 8vo . - 12s 6d
Surveyor’s Field Book for Engineers and Mining Surveyors.
Haskoll. Crown 8vo . ‘ , : z : . Sei
Tanning Materials & Extract Manufacture. Harvey. Demy 8vo . 15g
Tanning (Practical). Rogers and Flemming. Medium 8vo : . 45s
Tannins (Synthetic). Grasser and Enna. Demy 8vo : . 12s-

Tea Machinery and Tea Factories. Wallis-Tayler. Medium 8vo . 288
Technical Guide, Measurer, and Estimator. Beaton. Waistcoat-
poekem size | 7 ee dt UE. Sg Re > es rr

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12 A List of Books

Technical Terms: English-French, ee Fletcher.
Waistcoat-pocket size . :
Technical Terms: English- German, German-English, Fioades

and Holtzmann. Waistcoat-pocket size - 8s 6d
Technical Terms: English-Spanish, Spanish-English. Monteverde.
Waistcoat-pocket size. . 3s

Telephones: their Construction, Installation, Wiring, Operation,
and Maintenance. Radcliffe and Cushing. Fcap. 8ve

Telephones: Field Telephones and a for peg Use.
Stevens. Crown 8vo . ‘ zt - P

Timber Merchant. Richardson. Beige 8vo p

Sesaere oP

Timber Merchant’s Companion. Dowsing. Crown Sons 8s
Tools for Engineers and Woodworkers. Horner. Demy 8vo 10s
Traverse Tables. Lintern. Small Crown 8vo $ és
Tropical Agriculture. Johnson. Demy 8vo. . a . -
Tunnelling. Prelini and Hill. Royal 8vo . . . . . . 18
Tunnelling, Practical. Simms and Clark. Imp. 8vo. 2 : - Zils
Tunnel Shafts. Buck. 8vo ‘ ; ‘ - 12s 6d
Ultraviolet Radiation. Luckiesh. Demy 8v0 ‘ . oy tht - 2is
Upholstering. Bitmead. Crown 8vo . : : : : : 2s 6d
Urban Traffic, Principles of. Stone. Crown 8vo. . 3s 6d
Valuation of Real Property. Webb. Demy 8vo : __ Neale Ready
Valuation of Real Property. Lamputt. Crown 8vo . . 5 2s 6d
Valuation, Tabular Aids to. M’Caw and Lyons. Crown 8vo. . &6s
Vegetable Culture. Davidson. Crown 8vo.°: . 3 “ ; 4s 6d
Veterinary Aid. Archer. Crown 8vo . : 3 ‘ é ; 7s 6d
Wages Tables. Garbutt. Square Crown 8vo : : . 3 . 6s
Watchmaker’s Handbook. Saunier. Crown 8vo. . z . 12s 6d
Watch Repairing. Garrard. Crown 8vo ‘ : : . ‘ . 6s
Water Engineering. Slagg. Crown 8vo 4 ae ————
Water, Flow of. Schmeer. Medium 8vo . . . . . 18s
"Water Power Engineering. Taylor. Royal 8vo . . . Nearly Ready
Water Supplies. Ridealh Demy 8vo . ; 3 ; 3 - ~ Be-ee
Water Supplies (Emergency.) Thompson. Medium 8vo . ; . Zils
Water Supply of Cities and Towns. Humber. Imp. «sto. ~ » -te
Water Supply (Rural). Greenwell and Curry. Crown 8vo ‘aah
Weight Calculator. Harben. Royal 8vo , 2 258
‘Wells and Bore-holes. Dumbleton. Demy 8vo . . Nearly Ready
Wire Ropes for Hoisting. Crown 4to . : 26s
Wireless Telegraphy. Erskine-Murray. Demy 8vo New ‘Ea. Prepacing
Wireless Telegraphy (Framework of). Cadilhac. Demy 8vo . 4s 6d
Wireless Telephones. Erskine-Murray. Crown 8vo . : y 4s 6d
Wireless Telephony. Ruhmer. Demy 8vo . . . . . 10s 64
Wood, The Seasoning of. Wagner. Royal 8vo . . : . - 21s
Wood-Carving for Amateurs. By a Lady. Crown 8vo . . 28 6d
Woodworking Machinery. Bale. Large Crown 8vo .. 10s 6d

Woodworking Machinery for Small Workshops. Ball. Cr. 8v0 3s 6d
Workshop Practice, Modern. Pull. Large Crown 8vo . . . 168
Works’ Manager’s Handbook. Hutton. Medium 8vo F . - 188

All Published Prices are net.

Published by Crosby Lockwood an&@ Son 13

PRACTICAL HANDBOOKS FOR HOME STUDY.

Issued by THE AMERICAN TECHNICAL SOCIETY.
Agents: CROSBY LOCKWOOD & SON.

NOTE.—The Prices herein quoted are based on American Prices
and therefore subject to revision without notice.

Air Brake. Ludy . ‘ ‘ ‘ : : ° 7s 6d
Alternating-Current Machinery. Esty : ‘ : = ‘ es
Architectural Drawing and Lettering. Bourne : ; 3 : 7s 6d
Armature Winding. Moreton . ‘ : ‘ : - 10s
Automobile Construction and Repair. Hall . F : - 15s
Automobile Ignition, Starting and Lighting. Hayward ‘ _ fe eee
Bank Bookkeeping. Sweetland ? 3 . 7s 6d
Blueprint Reading. Fairfield and Kenison : : : : = See
Bridge Engineering—Roof Trusses. Dufour ‘ - : , . 15s
Building and Flying an Aeroplane. ay aos i : : F 5s
Building Code. Fitzpatrick . 2 : : ‘ é 7s 6d
Building Superintendence. Nichols . : 10s
Building Superintendence for Reinforced Concrete Structures. “Post 7s 6a
Building Superintendence for Steel Structures. Belden . 7s 6d
Business English and Correspondence. Barrett . : : : 7s 6d
Carpentry. Townsend : 3 = : 7s 6a
Civil Engineering Specifications and Contracts. Ashbridge . ne
Commercial Law. Chamberlain. : ; : ; - 103s
Compressed Air. Wightman . ‘ é 4 : . : 7s Ga
Contracts and Specifications. Nichols . : : 7s 6a
Corporation Accounts and Voucher System. " Griffith . 3 : 5s
Corporation Law. Abbott, SEHRES, and Gilmore”. . ~~“. (jah Ea
Cotton Spinning. Hedrick ‘ : : 12s 6d
Dams and Weirs. Bligh . : : : F 3 ‘ < - 10s
Descriptive Astronomy. Moulton : : : : 3 - E - 10s
Electric Railways. Craveth . : ; 2 : : : A 7s Sd
Electric Lighting. Harrison . ; ‘ : ; : : . 10s
Electric and Gas Welding. Cravens. : ; z : 2 7s 6d
Electrochemistry and Metallurgy. Burgess . : : ; = 7s 6d
Electrochemistry and Welding. Burgess. ‘ ; : ; - 103
Elements of Electricity. Millikan . - : 2 : : : 7s 6d
Elevators. Jallings . ‘ : ; ‘ ; : ee ah 12s 6d
Estimating. Nichols . : : : r . : : ; 7s 6d
Fire Insurance Law. Hardy . : ‘ : : . oo a ane
Fireproof Construction. Fitzpatrick ce) So ae ae 12s 6d
Ford Car. Bayston ae ee SPT. ah PS a
Forging. Jermberg . ; : Z F g : : : e 7s 6d
Foundry Work. Gray ae

Freehand and Pucanective Drawing. Everett ; . : i . 5s
Gas and Oil Engines and Gas ee Marks Z 3 12s 6a

Gasoline Automobile. Lougheed . M5. tia: - ae 7s 6d
Gesonne Tears. Hayward <.) e OS 7s 6d
Getting a Good Job. Barrett oe PT eS? eS See 5s

AW Published Prices are net.

14 List of Books published by Crosby Lockwood and Son

Heating and Ventilation. Hubbard
Hydraulic Engineering. Turneaure and Black
Interior Electric Wiring. Nelson . ; 5 :
Locomotive Boilers and Engines. Ludy oe
Machine Design. Wallace Z ; s ;
Machine Drawing. Griffin and Adams :
Machine-Shop Work. Turner and Perrigo. .
Mechanical Drawing. Kenison

Meter Testing and Electrical Measurements.
Modern American Homes. Von Holst.

Modern Land and Submarine Telegraphy. Macomber
Modern Radio Practice. Hayward . ‘ ee tt
Modern Road Construction. Byrne ; :
Orders of Architecture. Bourne, Brown and Holst ;

Oxy-Acetylene Welding Practice. Kell.

Pattern Making. Ritchey and Monroe

Plumbing. Gray and Ball

Portfolio of the Orders. Bourne, Brown, and Holst
Power Stations and Transmissions. Shaad . ;
Practical Aviation. Chas. B. Hayward. <
Practical Bookkeeping. Griffith . *
Practical Mathematics. Nobbs and Waite ;
Railroad Engineering. Webb . : :

Real Property Law. Kales

Refrigeration. Arrowood .

Reinforced Concrete. Webb and Gibson

Sewers and Drains. Marston and Fleming .

Sheet Metal Work. Neubecker :

Small Motors, Transformers and Electromagnets .
Stair Building and Steel Square. Hodes :
Standard Legal Forms. Lee : :
Steam Boilers, Care and Operation. Kuss
Steam Boilers, Construction and Design.
Steam Engines. Ludy

Steam Engine Indicators and Valve Gears.
Steam Turbines. Leland . : S
Steel Construction. Burt. ‘ 3 :
Storage Batteries. Crocker and Arendt. . F -
Strength of Materials. Maurer 3 : 2 :
Structural Drafting. Dufour . a 5 . :
Surveying. Finch : 5 = j ; 5 ; 7
Switchboards. Adams : : : : z 2
Telephony. Miller and M’ Meen : - , -
Tool and Die Design for Beginners. ee : ,
Tool Making, Markham . a . é ‘
Trigonometry, Plane. M cCarty

Kuss . -

Ludy

Underwriters’ Requirements or Safe Electrical Installations.

Vocational Guidance. McKinney-Simons .
Wireless : How to Become a Wireless Operator.

All Published Prices ave net,

°

" Hayward

: : : : : d 58
Bushnell and Turnbull 7s 6d

- . 10s
2: hie ee
Pierce 7s 6d
. 10s

- = aie

Printed in Great Britain by UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, LONDON AND WOKING

A SELECTED LIST OF WEALE'’S SERIES.

Agricultural Surveying, Scott (245).
Arches, Piers, &c., Bland (111). °
Architecture, Ancient (128,130) .
Design, Garbett (18) . E <
Grecian, Aberdeen (130) . 3
of Vitruvius, Gwlt (128) - -
Orders, Leeds (16) . : - =
Architectural Modelling, Richardson
Blasting and Quarrying, Burgoyne
Boilermakers’ Assistant, Couriney
Ready Reckoner, Couriney (254) .
Bookkeeping (83) -
for Farmers, Woodman (266) -
Boot and Shoe Making, Leno (262).
Brass Founding, Graham (162) . :
Srick-Cutting & Setting, Hammond
Bridges (Iron), Pendred (260) .
Saag and Gjirder), Dempsey

43)

Buildice, Beckett (206) P -
Estates, Mattland (247)... -
Science of, Tarn (267) . : -

Carpentry and Joinery, Tredgold,

Plates, 4to (182*). =
Cattle. Sheep, & Horses, Burn (142).
Cesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic
War, Young.
Cements, Pastes,
(276) 05 : ; ; ;

Circular Work in Carpentry, Collings

Coach-Building, Burgess (224) .

Coal Mining, Smyth (180) :

Compound Interest and Annuities,

Thoman (196) -

Decoration, Elementary, F acey -

Decoration, Practical, Fa acey..

Drainage of Lands, Dempsey ( 268) .

Draining & Embanking, Scott ( (239)

Drawing and Measuring Instru-

ments, Heather (168) . a -

Dwelling Houses, Brooks (132) . -

Electric Lighting, Swinton (282) ;

Extempore Speaking, Bauiain (51) .

Farm Roads and Fences, Sco .

Foundations, &c., Dobson (44) .

French and English Phrase Book

(47) -

French Grammar, Strauss (24) | -

Fruit Trees, Du Breuil (E77)

Gas Works, Hughes & O’ Connor

‘Geology, Historical, Tate (173) . -
Physical, Tate (174). . -

Geometry, Descriptive, H eather (76)

German Reader, Strauss (40) .

Grafting and Budding, Baltet (231) .

Hebrew Dictionary, Bresslau—
Hebrew and English (44) - °
English and Hebrew (46)

Hebrew Grammar, Bresslau (46*)

Glues, Standage

2/6
2/-

I/-
3/6

7/6
3/6
2/-

House Book (112, 112*, 194) . -
Decoration, Facey (229, 257) -
Manager (194) . . e

Italian Grammar, "Elwes (27) :
Triglot Dictionary, Elwes, English-

French-Italian (30) : - .
French-Italian-English (32) . °
Joints Used by Builders, Chrtsty
Landed Estates Management, Burn
(208) 3
Locomotive Engine Driving, ‘Rey:
nolds (255) .
Engineer, Model, Reynolds (278) :
Logarithms Law (204) ‘ 2 .
Logic, Emmens (150) .

Machinery, Details of, Campin "(236)
Marine Engineering Elementary,
Brewer (275). + =

Masonry and Stone-Cutting (25) P
Masting and Rigging, Kipping (54).
Materials & Construction, Campin
Mathematical Instruments, Heatker
Mathematical Tables, Law and
Young (204) .
Mensuration and Meas suring, Baker
Mineral Surveyors’ Guide, Lintern
Mining Tools, M orgaws {172) . 4
Morgans, Plates, 4to (172*) . .
Navigation & Nautical Astronomy,
Young (99) . : - “
Greenwood and Rosser (55)
Optical Instruments, Heather (x69) .
Organ Building, Dickson (235) .
Painting, Fine Art, Gullick and
Tambs (181) . a .
Perspective, Pyne (20) : :
Pioneer Engineering, Dobson (213) 2
Plastering, Kemp (273) - :
Pneumatics, Tomlinson (12) - .
Portland Cement, Fasja (248) . rs
Portuguese Grammar, Elwes (55) .
Dictionary, Elwes (56) . - z
Sailmaking, Kipping (149) s E
Sanitary Work, Slagg (203) : E
Sewage, Irrigation, &c., Burn (146).
Sheet-Metal Workers’ Guide, Crane
Shoring, Blagrove (261)
Silversmiths’ Handbook, Gee (225) .
Slate and Slate Quarryi ing, Davies
Smithy and Forge, Crane (237).
Soils, Manures, and Crops,
Spanish Grammar, Elwes (34)
Dictionazxy, Elwes (35) =
Stationary Engine Driving, Reynolds

Burn

Surveying, Instruments, Heather (170) Ve

Tree eee and ee Wood
(20 - - ~
Pruner, Wood (210) . :

Ventilation of Buildings, Buchan

All Published Prices are net.

3/-
2/6

4l-

LONDON: CROSBY LOCKWOOD & SON,
7 STATIONERS’ HALL COURT, LUDCATE HILL, E.C.4.

|
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CrosBy LockwoopD & SON’S

QUARTERLY ANNOUNCEMENT
OF NEW PUBLICATIONS

Post Free on Application

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