112 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



for as abo>re advised, and well mulched with some half- rotten dung 

 along each side of the row, if very dry weather is likely to last. 



All Peas should have their sticks put to them as soon as they 

 are three inches high, but there is a common error in staking Peas. 

 Most people place the sticks so that the points of all of them, both 

 sides of the row, come close together at top. This is not the proper 

 way. The sticks should be placed in the ground firm, and instead 

 of the points leaning inwards — that is, exactly over the centre of 

 the row — they should lean outwards like the two sides of the letter 

 y. This is the best of all systems of staking Peas, as it opens the 

 growth to light and air, and the result is increased production. 



ON FORCINa EARLY CUCUMBEES. 



BT A MAEKET GAEDENEE. 



XE great complaint among the growers of early cucum- 

 bers is, that the plants are often weak and yellow. This 

 is occasioned by the beds being kept too warm, and too 

 much covering being placed over them at night. The 

 heat of the beds causes the plants to grow too fast for 

 the small supply of light which they receive luliile the days are short; 

 and which are rendered shorter still by the coverings being put on 

 so early in the evenings, and left on so long in the mornings. I 

 have always found that so much covering was rather injurious than 

 beneficial. My practice is to cover up only in very cold weather, 

 and then only with a single mat. Crown glass should be used for 

 very early forcing, and the surface should not be puttied. The glass 

 in old lights is, like horn, almost impervious to the light. 



In mixing up the soil for cucumbers, fresh dung should be used, 

 and it should be allowed to rot in the soil. The common method of 

 employing rotten manure is bad, because in that state the strength 

 of the dung is already exhausted. 



The old notion is still prevalent, that it is best to sow old seed, 

 because plants raised from new grow too vigorously. There is no 

 sense in such a prejudice ; my own invariable practice is to choose 

 new seed. The usual method of putting three plants into one pot 

 is also wrong. My plan is to put only one, and one plant only 

 under a light. One good plant will fill the space of a light sooner 

 than three set together. 



It often happens that the plants are drawn up, as it is termed, 

 having long stems. This has been attributed to the want of air, 

 and to the plants being too far from the glass. But it arises, in 

 reality, from there being too much heat in the bed below ; for the 

 plants never grow so, however far removed from the glass, and 

 scantily supplied with air, if there be not too much under-heat. 



