CUCURBITACEZ. 
boisterous, stormy weather.” Having put on the frame and 
waited till the bed is fit for moulding, lay in five or six inches’ 
depth of the proper earth or compost. M*<Phail “makes up a 
bed of good dung, four feet high, for a 1-light box.” Nicol 
“ builds a bed of dung, carefully fermented, to the height of 
5 feet at back, and 4 at front, keeping it a foot larger all round 
than a 1-light frame, or about five or six feet by three or three 
and avr". He then covers with turf, and orthat lays fine sand, 
as free of earth as possible, to the depth of about 6 inches, 
laying in a sloping manner, corresponding with the glass and 
within 6 inches of it; over which lay an inch or two of dry 
light earth.” Aiton and Mills also prepare a bed for a 1-light 
box ; the latter forms it on a stratum of wood 1 foot high for 
drainage, and 8 inches higher in the middle than at the sides, 
as the sides are liable, from the weight of the frame, to settle 
faster than in the middle, which causes the piles of earth to 
crack; by which in fruiting-beds more especially the roots of 
the plants are greatly injured. 
Soning.—Abercrombie sows some seeds in the layer of the 
earth, which he spreads over the bed, putting them in half an 
inch deep. He also sows some seed in 2, 3, or more small 
pots of the same kind of earth, which may be plunged a little 
into that of the bed. M/‘Phail sows in a pot filled with rich 
earth, covers about 2 inches thick, and sets the pots on the 
surface of the naked dung on the bed. Nicol sows immediately 
after the bed is made, without waiting till the heat arises, which 
he says is losing time, and the opportunity of bringing on veget- 
ation by degrees as the heat rises. He sows in a broad pan 4 
inches deep, or in small pots 4 or 5 inches in diameter, and as 
much in depth. These he fills with “ fine light earth” or veget- 
able mould, and covers the seeds 2 inches. He plunges these 
to the brim in the back part of the bed (which, it will be re- 
collected contains a stratum of earth 6 inches thick, over one of 
sand and another of turf), puts on the light, and lets the frame 
be matted at night, in the ordinary way. 
Raising plants from cuttings.—M‘Phail says, “ Instead of 
raising cucumber plants from seeds, they may be raised from 
cuttings, and thus kept on from year to year, in the following 
manner; the method of sticking them in is this: take a shoot 
which is just ready for stopping, cut it off just below the joint, 
behind the joint before which the shoot should have been 
stopped, then cut smooth the lower end of the shoot or cutting, 
and stick it in fine leaf or other rich mould, about an inch deep, 
and give it plenty of heat, and shade it from the rays of the 
sun till it be fairly struck. By this method, as well as by that 
of laying, cucumber plants may readily be propagated.” J. 
Mearns, gardener at Shobden Court, near Leominster, propa- 
gates his cucumber-plants for a winter crop in this way, and 
“ finds that the plants raised from cuttings are less succulent, 
and therefore do not so readily damp off, or suffer from the low 
temperature, to which they are liable to be exposed in severe 
weather ; that they come into bearing immediately as they have 
formed roots of sufficient strength to support their fruit, and 
do not run so much-to barren vine as seedlings are apt to do.” 
He takes the cuttings from the tops of the bearing shoots, and 
plants them in pots 9 inches deep, half filled with mould. He 
then waters them, covers the tops of the pots with flat pieces of 
glass, and plunges them into a gentle bottom heat. ‘“ The 
sides of the pot act as a sufficient shade for the cuttings 
during the time they are striking, and the flat glass, in this and 
in similar operations, answers all the purposes of bell-glasses. 
The cuttings form roots, and are ready to pot off ina fortnight. 
_ Temperature of the seed-bed.— Abercrombie says, “ The mi- 
nimum heat for the cucumber is 58° at the coldest time of night, 
in the day-time 65° is sufficient for the maximum ; because air 
admitted, when the sun has great influence, will do more good 
VOL. II. 
17 
than a higher heat. M‘Phail says, “If it were possible to 
keep the heat in the frames always to 80°, with the concurrence 
of proper air and moisture, I am of opinion that that would be 
a sufficient heat for the production of the cucumber.” Nicol 
keeps the air in the bed to about 65° in the night, allowing a 
few degrees of arise in sunshine. Aiton rears and fruits his 
plants in a stove. Miller says, ‘ The heat I wish to have in 
the seed-frame is from 65° to 75°.” 
Treatment of the plants until removed to the fruiting-bed.— 
After sowing, Abercrombie “ continues the glasses on the frame, 
giving occasional vent above for the steam to evaporate, that 
the bed may keep a moderate heat, and not become too violent, 
The plants will be up ina few days, when it will be proper to 
admit air daily, but more guardedly, at the upper end of the 
light, which may be raised from half an inch to an inch or two, 
according to the temperature of the weather, that the plants 
may not draw up weak, or be injured by the steam. In frosty 
weather hang part of a mat over the aperture. When the plants 
are a little advanced, with the seed-leaves about half an inch 
broad, take them up, and prick some in small pots of light earth, 
previously warmed by the bed. Put 3 plants in each pot, and 
insert them a little slopingly, quite to the seed-leaves. Plunge 
the pots into the earth, and you may prick some plants also into 
the earth of the bed. Give a very little water just to the roots ; 
the water should be previously warmed to the temperature of 
the bed. Draw on the glasses; but admit air daily to promote 
the growth of the plants, as well as to give vent to the steam 
rising in the bed, by tilting the lights behind, from half an inch 
to an inch or two high, in proportion to the heat of the bed and 
temperature of the weather. Cover the glasses every night 
with garden-mats, and remove them timely in the morning. 
Give twice a-week, once in two days, or daily, according to the 
season, a very light watering; keep up a moderate lively heat 
in the bed by requisite linings of hot dung to the sides.” 
M‘Phail, having sown, and placed the pots on the naked bed, 
says, “ the plants will come up ina few days, and when they 
have fully expanded their seed-leaves, transplant them into small 
pots, 3 plants in each pot. Set them on the surface of the dung 
in the bed, and let a little air be left at the light day and night, 
to let the steam pass off freely.” —“ When the seedling plants 
have one or two joints, stop them, after which they generally 
put forth 2 shoots, each of which let run till they have made 
l or 2 clear joints, and then stop them, and afterwards continue 
throughout the season to stop the plants at every joint.” Nicol 
directs to guard the seed from mice, which generally swarm 
about hot-beds, by laying a pane of glass over the pot or pan 
till they come up; and afterwards at night by covering with a 
pot of equal size, till the seed-leaves have expanded and the 
husks have dropped ; for until then the plants are liable to be 
destroyed. The cover, however, should always be removed by sun- 
rise, and be replaced in the evening. It is at night these vermin 
generally commit their depredations. No air need be admitted 
till the heat begins to rise, and steam begins to appear ; but after 
that the lights should be tilted a little every day, in whatever state 
the weather may be, until the plants break ground, Air must then 
be admitted with more care, and if frosty or very chill, the end 
of a mat should be hung over the opening, that the air may sift 
through it, and not immediately strike the plants. A little aired 
water may be given once a day, from the time the seeds begin 
to chip; and if a very strong heat rise, the pots should be 
raised a little to prevent the roots from being injured. They 
should be frequently examined on this account, and if the heat 
be violent, should be set loosely on the sand, or be placed en- 
tirely on the surface. The air of the bed should be kept to 
about 65° in the night, allowing a few degrees of a rise in the 
sunshine. If the weather be severe, the mats must be doubled 
IV. Cucumis. 
