SECT. XIV. OF RAISING CUCUMBERS. 133 



plants being about five weeks old, -will be read y fo 

 putting into a new bed to bear fruit. 



Stopping the plants is to be performed about a week 

 before they leave the feed bed; i.e. as foon as the fe- 

 cond rough leaf is expanded, and fhews in its bofom 

 the little bud, or eye, that produces a runner. This is 

 to be nicelv cut off with a pen-knife, or fmall fharp 

 pointed fciffars, or picked out with a needle, though, if 

 it gets forward, it may be pinched off. Soon after this 

 operation, the plant thickens, and will pufh for runners 

 again, which the flopping is defigned to difpofe them 

 to ; and the effeft is an earlier and more plentiful bear- 

 ing. The practice of flopping is again to be performed 

 upon the firll runners when they have three joints with-, 

 out (hewing fruit. 



TKc fruit bed comes now, and it fhould be made of 

 go td materials, duly prepared, and well put together, 

 towards four feet thick. It ought not to be of a fize 

 lefs than for a two-light* but better for a three-light 

 frame; as the heat is more certainly to be kept up a 

 proper length of time, in a full fized frame, without 

 which all the previous labour is loft. Preparations 

 mud be made for this bed at leaft a fortnight before it is 

 wanted, in the way directed in the laft fection. 



Before earthing, take care that the burn'nig heat is 

 over, and that the mould to be ufed be properly dry. 

 Lay it all over the bed not more than three inches thick, 

 (for reafons given, page 180) making hills where the 

 plants are to be fet about twelve or fourteen inches 

 depth. A two-light bed (of proper materials) will 

 not be ready for moulding in lefs than a week or ten 

 davs from making; nor a three-light in lefs than ten 

 days or a fortnight. But if it mould be defired to plant 

 out quick, on account of the feed bed having got cold, 

 a fecurity from burning the plants is found in forming 

 a hole in the bed, where the plants are to be, two inches 

 deep, and about a foot, or fifteen inches over, and filling 

 tip v.'ith frcih caw dung; through this the heat will not 

 3 burn, 



