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from fccd>, which is done by the mixing of the fa- 

 rina of different flowers into eath other. 

 When the fruit of the Cucumbers are thus fairly fet, 

 if the bed is of a proper temperature of warmth, 

 they will foon fwell, and become fit for ufe ■, fo all that 

 is neceffary to be obferved, is to water the plants pro- 

 perly, which fhould be done by fprinkling the water 

 all over the bed, for the roots of the plants will ex- 

 tend themlelves to the fide of the bed; therefore- 

 thofe who arc inclined to continue thefe plants as long 

 as pofiible in vigour, fhould add a fufRcient thick- 

 nefs of dung and earth all round the fides of the 

 beds, fo as to enlarge them to near double their firft 

 width •, this will fupply nourifhment to the roots pf 

 the plants, whereby they may be continued fruitful 

 great part of the fummer-, whereas, w^hen this is not 

 pradtifed, the roots of the plants, when they have 

 reached the fide of the beds, are dried by the wind 

 and fun, fo that the plants languifli and decay long 



before their time. 



Thofe gardeners who are fond of producing early 

 Cucumbers, generally leave two or three of their 

 early fruit, which are fuuated upon the main ftem of 

 the plant near the root, for feed ; which, when fully 

 ripe, they carefully lave to a proper age for fowing, 

 and by this method they find a great improvement is 

 made of the feed ; and this they always ufe for their 

 early crops only, for the fucceeding crops do not de- 

 ferve fo much care and attention. ^ - 



I have licreonly mentioned the method of raifins; the 

 young Cucumber plants in ftoves ; for as thefe con- 

 veniencies are now pretty generally made in the curi- 

 ous kitchen-gardens in mofl parts of England, this 

 method may be more univerfally praftifed j but in 

 fuch gardens where there are no ftoves, the feeds 

 fliould be fow^n upon a well prepared hot-bed : and 

 here it will be the befl way to fow the feeds in fmall 

 halfpenny pots, becaufe thefe may be eafily removed 

 from one bed to another, if the heat fhould decline ; 

 or, on the contrary, if the heat fhould be too great, 

 the pots may be raifed up, which will prevent the 

 ■. feed or the young plants from being'injured thereby. 

 "When the plants are come up as was before direfted, 

 there fhould be a frefh hot- bed prepared, with a fuf- 

 ficient number of halfpenny pots plunged therein 

 ready to receive the plants, which muft be planted 

 into them in the fame manner as was before direfted, 



■ and the after-management of the plants muft be near- 

 ly the fame ; but as the fteam of the hot-bed fre- 

 quently occafions great damps, there muft be great 

 care to turn and wipe the glaffes frequently, to pre- 

 vent the condenfed moifture falling on the plants, 

 which is very deftruftive to them. There muft alfo 

 be great attention to the admitting frefh air at all pro- 

 per times, as alfo to be careful in keeping the bed to 



' a proper temperature of heat •, for as there is a want 

 of fire to warm the air, that muft be fupplied by the 

 heat of dung, afterward thefe plants muft be ridged 

 out in the fame manner as before direfted. 

 If the bed is of a good temper for heat, your 

 plants will take root in lefs than twenty-four hours ; 



■ after which time you muft be careful to let in a little 

 '■ air at fuch times when the weather will permit, as 

 . ■ alfo to turn the glaffes upfide down every day to dry ; 



:forthe fteam of the bed condenfing on the glalTes, 

 will fall down upon the plants, and be very injurious 

 to them ; therefore whenever the weather is fo bad 

 as not to permit the glaffes to lie turned long, you 

 fhould at leaft turn them once or twice a day, and 

 wipe off the moifture with a woollen cloth • but you 

 muft alfo be very careful how you let in too much 



■ cold air, which is equally deftruftive to the tender 

 plants ; therefore, to avoid this, it is a very good me- 

 thod to fallen before the upper fide of the frame, 

 where the air is fuffered to enter the bed, a piece of 



, coarfe cloth or mat, fo that the air which enters may 

 pafs through that, which will render it lefs injurious 

 to your plants. 



You muft alfo be very cautious in giving water to 

 the plants while young j and whenever this is done, ic 



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fliould be fparingly, and the water iliould be pbced 

 either into a heap of dung, or in fome other warm 

 place, for fome tim*e before it is ufed, fo as to be 

 nearly of a temperature for warmth with the inclofed 

 air of the hot-bed ; and as the plants advance ia 

 height, you fliould have a little dry fifted earth always 

 ready to earth up their flianks, w^hich will greatly 

 ftrengthcn them. You muft alfo be very careful to ' 



■ keep up the heat of the bed, which, if you fiiould 

 find dcchne, you muft lay a little frefh htter round 

 about the fides of the bed, and alfo keep the glaffes 

 well covered in the nights, or in bad weather: but if, 

 on the other hand, your bed fhould prove too hot, 

 you Paould thruft a large ftakc into the fide of the 

 dung in two or three places, almoft to the middle of 

 the bed, which v/ill make large holes, through which 

 the greateft part of the fteam will pafs off without al- 

 cending to the top of the bed j and when you find it 

 has anfwercd your purpofc by flacking the heat of your 

 bed, you muft ftop them up'againwith dung. 

 Thefe dircftions, if carefully attended to, will befuf- 

 ficient for raifing the plants in the firft bed : you muft 

 therefore, when you perceive the third, or roucrh 

 leaf begin to appear, prepare another heap of frelh 

 dung, which fhould be mixed with afhes, as was be- 

 fore direfted ; this fhould be in quantity according to 

 the number of holes you intend to make. The com- 

 mon allowance for ridging out the carlieft plants is, 

 one load to each light or hole, fo that the bed will be 

 near three feet thick in dung ; but for fuch as are not 

 ridged out till March, two loads of dung will be 

 fufficient for three holes, for I could never obferve 

 any advantage in making thefe beds fo thick with 

 dung as fome people do ; their crops are feldom bet- 

 ter, if fo good, as thofe which are of a moderate 



:' fubftance ; nor are they forwarder, and the fruit is 

 rarely fo fair, nor do the Vines continue fo long in 



_ health. ." " . 





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', In making thefe beds, you muft carefully mix the 

 durig, fhakingit well with the fork, fo as not to leave 

 any clods of dung unfeparatpd, as alfo to beat it down 

 pretty clofe, to prevent the fteam from rifing too haf-^ 

 tily J you muft alfo be careful to lay it very even, and 

 to beat or prefs down the dung equally in every part 

 of the bed, otherwife it will fettle in holes, which will 

 be very hurtful. When you finifh , laying the dung, 

 you muft make a hole exaflly in the middle of each 

 light, about a foot deep, and eight or nine inches 

 over ; thefe holes muft be filled with light frefh earth, 

 which fhould be fcreened to take out all large ftones, 

 clods, &c. laying it up in a hill ; and in the middle 

 of each thruft in a ftick about eighteen inches long, 



'' which fhould ftand as a mark to find the exaft place 

 where the hole is ; then earth the bed all over about 



. three inches thick, levelling it fmooth, and afterwards 

 fet the frame upon it, covering it with glaffes ; but if 

 there is any apprehenfion of the dung heating too 

 violently, the earth fhould not be laid upon the bed 

 until the heat is fomewhat abated, which will be m a 

 few days, and then the earth may be laid upon the 

 bed by degrees, covering it at firft two inches thick j 

 and a week or ten days after another inch in thick- 

 nefs may be laid on, but there fhould be the whole 

 thicknefs of earth laid upon the bed before the Vines 

 begin to run ; and if this thicknefs of earth is at lafl 

 fix or feven inches, the Vines will grow the ftronger for 

 its being fo thick -, for if the roots are obferved, they 

 will be found to fpread and cover the whole bed as , 

 much as the Vines extend above -, and when the earth 

 is Very fhallow, or too light, the Vines will hang their 

 leaves every day for want of a fufficient depth ot earth 

 to fupport their roots ; fo that if they are not con- 

 ftantly and well watered, they will not have ftrength 

 to laft long, nor to produce fair fruit ^ and the giving 

 them too much water is not fo proper, nor will itan- 



• fwer near fo well, as the giving a depth of earth up- 

 on the dung. i. 



In four or five days time your bed will be in fit order 

 to receive your plants, of which you may eafilyjudge 



, by pulling out one of the fticks which was put in the 



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