130 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



be well covered at niglit, and shaded through the strong heat 

 of the sun. 



When the fruit is coming, let but two or three swell at a 

 tinie upon any one vine, and even these should be in different 

 stages of growth, so that one may be cut when another is half- 

 grown. In melons, the same should be observed, for if too 

 many fruit be allowed to swell at once, about the same age on 

 one vine, they will not be so fine, either in growth or flavour. 

 Watering occasionally, and giving air to keep the temperature 

 moderate, are the principal things required ; but melons must 

 not be watered too often, and as they ripen no water should 

 be given until they begin to flag. Thus much for the hot-bed, 

 as far as we have gone ; but we must now suppose the hot- 

 bed begins to cool a Httle and some fresh supply of heat is 

 required; if so, remove all the projecting portion of the 

 dung, and even rather undermine the bed than otherwise, by 

 takmg away even more than the projecting dung, and replace 

 all of it with hot prepared dung, fully as much projectiag as 

 there was at first ; this will give new vigour to the bed, and 

 raise the temperature equal to what it was at first, and this 

 may be repeated every time the heat declines. It will there- 

 fore be seen that the preparation of stable-dung for use is an 

 essential duty, and keeping plenty on hand to supply new 

 turnings is a matter of necessity. N^ow whether this hot-bed 

 is made in any month in the year, the process is the same, 

 and ih-Q production of cucumbers in January is no more diffi- 

 cult than in June. We do not say but that they may want 

 more attention, but there is no more uncertainty nor diffi- 

 culty. Hot-beds are useful even when we have had aU the 

 cucumbers off and done with the vines, because nothiug can 

 be more favourable for sowing salads, radishes, onions, or 

 anything else out of season, or for planting potatoes, for 

 they require less heat, and progress well under glass. In a 

 good establishment hot-beds are made to succeed each other, 

 and the old ones are turned to account ; some are planted with 

 violets to bloom through the autumn and winter ; in fact, they 

 are at aU times useful, for a slight heat lasts a very long time. 



Brick Pits. — There are many ways of constructing beds to 

 be heated by dung ; many brick pits are so constructed that 

 hot dung can be placed round the iimer brick-work, the 

 lower part of which is made with holes, above which ruside 

 there is a false bottom to hold the soil, and an empty chamber 



