478 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



regards stopping, pegging- down, kc, both for ride^A and frame cucumbers. 

 They will do on ridges put out at the beginning of this month. 



1467. Melons planted at the beginning of this month may be put out in the 

 ordinary manner in a common melon-pit, with a good body of dung ; but, if 

 planted later, it must be so that heat can be applied to ripen the fruit, which, 

 occurring in the shortening days, will want assistance from artificial heat. 

 Plants that are ripening their fruit must have very little water. 



1468- Capsicv.ras, kc, in fruiting condition, should remain in the pots, and 

 be plunged in the bed ; the roots will ramble through the pots, but are more 

 likely to bear than if planted in the bed. 



1469. Ihishroom-Beds. — These may yet be made out of doors, providing 

 plenty of clean straw and mats to protect them. Some gardeners make a 

 practice of spawning melon-beds, either while the frmt is ripening, or after 

 they are cleared off. It is done in this manner : — Clear off the old soil, break 

 the spawn into small pieces, lay it regularly over the bed, and cover it with 

 about two inches of horse-droppings, or very short dung. This, again, is 

 covered with two or three inches of good loamy soil, and all trodden dovna and 

 made firm. Heat is applied by means of fresh linings of well-worked dung. 



1470. Economical Fhces. — The first 10 feet should be brick in bed, the next 

 10 feet brick on edge : beyond that, earthen pipes may be used for any length, 

 observing that the .nore length of flue the more heat is saved. For the neces- 

 sary operation of cleaning the flues occasionally, bricks should be left out in 

 places ; and never remove a brick that is bedded in with the rest ; in the pipe- 

 flues place junction-lengths, at intervals of 8 or 10 feet, stopping the holes 

 with slate and cement. 



§ 9.— Window-Gardening. 



1471. If it is desired to have a succession of window-plants in bloom, there 

 must be a certain amount of potting, re-potting, and changing ; as one goes 

 out of bloom, another is brought in to take its place. By this means a fresh- 

 ness and gaiety may be kept up, and all the necessary work may be done in 

 another place. At this time of the year, fuchsias, pelargoniums, and salvias, 

 •will be in perfection, and may take the seat of honour while they last : and 

 as most of them are continuous bloomers, will probably last till October, when 

 they may give place to chrysanthemums. Fuchsias, particvdarly, are adapted 

 for window-culture, as they are very clean and, under good treatment, are 

 little infested with insects. The same may be said of geraniums ; many an 

 old plant of which has had sole possession for years of the only place the 

 owners had for growing them, i.e. the window. A scarlet geranium trained 

 over the window-sash forms a verdant screen, the only objection to which is 

 the leaves being naturally attracted to the light. Turn their backs to the 

 interior of the room ; nor is it advisable to turn them often ; but if trained 

 over a trellis fixed to the pot or box, the plant may be turned to the light 

 in the daytime, and reversed at night. Many prefer having plants of 



