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 
