40 ON THE CULTURE 



vermin, as they always like a sickly stagnated 

 plant to a thriving vigorous one. Mice are 

 sometimes extremely troublesome, but may be 

 destroyed by procuring from a Chemist some 

 ground oxvomicae,and applying it in the following 

 manner. Mix the drug with some water, stir it 

 up well, and let it boil about ten minutes ; take 

 it off the fire and put in some wheat or cucumber 

 seed, letting it steep for ten or twelve hours ; or 

 spread some ox vomicoe not boiled upon bread and 

 fresh butter, place this in the bed near the holes 

 at which they enter, which will effectually 

 extirpate them. 



With regard to the time of cutting fruit* from 



* The Author has tried several sorts, but at present only 

 makes use of three kinds of frame cucumber, which he 

 considers preferable to all the others. One is a long 

 black prickly fruit, with a fine bloom and short handle, well 

 filled up. It will sometimes grow for table to the length of 

 fifteen inches, and usually from eleven to twelve. It is an 

 excellent bearer, but nnt so well adapted for October sowing 

 as the other two kind*, from its tender qualities, being thin 



