Sonic of the best fruits for the pe tell-house arc, 410e red magdalen, the white magdalen, loyal George, noblesse, late mignone, early Newington, teton de Venus, and Ca therine peaches ; and of the nectarines, the Newington, the red Homan, and the violet. But all the kinds former ly mentioned, § 88. are occasionally placed in the peach house.
The Cherry house.
205. The cherry-house, if one furnace only be employ ed, is nearly of the dimensions mentioned for the peach house. The cherry-house is always considered and ma naged as a forcing-house. There is commonly a glass front between two and three feet high; thus giving room in the fore-part of the border for some dwarf trees, either cherry or fig, or perhaps apricot ; the principal cherry trees being trained against a trellis in the back wall. The flue along the front and at each end, is covered with a small horizontal grate or trellis of wood, and on this pots of strawberries or of kidney-beans are forced. For the dwarf trees in front, such as have been kept in pots or tubs for some time, are to be preferred. Forcing in the cherry house is nattily begun about the new-year ; but for a month before the fire is lighted, the house is shut at night, so as gradually to accustom the plants to the confined air and increased temperature. At first the temperature is kept at 40°. Till the flower-buds appear, air is admitted, in the day-time, freely ; but after this, till the season be come mild, with great caution, by the upper sashes only. When the fruit is setting, in the beginning of March, the temperature is kept as steadily as possible about 50°. Af ter it is set, water is given plentifully at the root, and also dashed over the foliage, and air is freely admitted when the weather will permit. When the fruit is colouring, lit tle water is given, the temperature is raised, and as much air as possible is given. When the crop is gathered, the house is generally thrown quite open ; in many cases, even the glass-roof is taken off. By much the best cherry for forcing is the common Mayduke.
206. The kinds of strawberries preferred for forcing, are the scarlet, the alpine, and wood strawberry. The plants undergo a course of preparation for a year before they be forced. They should always be taken from the
most fruitful plants; and the offsets nearest to the parent plant are to be preferred. During the first summer, they are not only regularly deprived of all runners as they ap pear, but the flowers are also picked off: vigorous plants, filling the pots, are thus secured for fruiting in the hollow ing spring. if the fruit be wanted very early, the plants are placed in a hot-bed frame in the end of October, and there brought to flower, being transferred to the forcing house when the furnace is set agoing. They generally yield ripe fruit early in March, and continue to afford suc cessive gatherings till the end of April, making a pleasing appearance at this season, and a rich addition to the spring dessert. Water is pretty liberally supplied till the fruit begin to ripen, when it is given sparingly. It may here be remarked, that if strawberry plants which have been pre pared as for forcing, be planted in front of a hot-wall, they can scarely fail to ripen fruit early in May.
207. Of kidney-beans, the best kind for forcing is the early speckled dwarf. The beans are sown, in small pots, (called 24's or 16's,) in many sorts of light rich earth, three beans in each, and placed in the house when fire heat is begun. As they advance, they require frequent watering, and as much air as circumstances will The pods should be gathered when rather yonng, as in this way the plains continue longer to yield them.
The Finery or Grapc-housc.
208. A vinery with two furnaces is generally fifty feet in length, and fourteen oe fifteen in width within ; the height of the back wall being ten or twelve feet, and of .the parapet about eighteen inches. When one furnace only is employed, the length of the house should never exceed thirty ur thirty-five feet. The parapet wall le ge nerally supported on small arches or lintels. as already described in the peach-house, so that the vines, which are planted inside the house, may send abroad their roots in search of suitable nourishment. Sometimes the vines are planted without, and introduct!d through slanting aper tures.