i?R OF RAISING CUCUMBERS. SECT. XI v. 



feem too hot, and likely to bum ; in which cafe, draw 

 the chief of the mould ande round the frame, that the 

 heat may have vent in the middle, for a day or two. 

 As it is a thing efTentially neceffary in the cultivation 

 of early cucumbers, to have rich earth, properly dry, 

 it mould be prepared, and laid by in autumn, in fome 

 airy fhed or hovel. Let it be, if poflible, fome frefh 

 under turf earth, mixed with about one fourth part of 

 thorough rotten horfe dung, often ftirred together to 

 incorporate and fweeten. 



The /owing may be made upon the hill of mould, 

 levelled down to about fix inches deep ; but if any fuf- 

 picion of burning (or in fhort at any rate), it were 

 better to fow in a final 1 pot or two, which fhould be 

 filled with the warm mould, and plunged a little way 

 in, more or lefs according to the heat of the bed, for if 

 the bed appears to be over hot, the pot may beraifed 

 from it ; cover the feeds half an inch, and add a gentle 

 preflure of the earth upon them. In a bed of proper 

 temper, they will be up in three or four days, and 

 fooner or later, if there is too ftrong or too weak a 

 heat ; though the age of the feed will occafion fome 

 difference. Very old feed (which fome gardeners are 

 fond of, as running lefs to vine, and fo reckoned the 

 more fruitful,) will fometimes come up weak, and 

 alfo rot, when the mould is damp, and the heat not 

 ftfong ; fo that feed of two, three, or at the moll, four 

 years of age is to be preferred-: That of a year old 

 comes up certainly, but too luxuriantly. 



Whether the firft feeds come up, or not, on the 

 third day, fow a few more, and fo again and again; 

 for the early young plants are incident to failures, trom 

 various caufes. As the feed muft not be fawn in wet 

 earth, fo if it gets too dry, fprinkle the mould to 

 moiiten it a little below the depth of the feed ; but 

 let it be with water previoully fet in the frame (in a 

 bottle) to warm. Be fine to give the plants air, 

 according to the weather, railing the lights from one 



ball,- 



