THK HAND-GLASS CUCUMBER. 53 



46 



bottom of the trench ; tread it down well, level 

 it, and apply some water if it is dry ; then put 

 the mould on, and let it be dug a spit deep, and 

 eighteen inches wide on each side of the trench ; 

 afterwards put some dung or leaf mould on, and 

 dig it in. Level the mould down, so that the 

 bed will be about six feet wide, and nine or ten 

 inches deep, taking care to leave it a little 

 higher in the middle, where the dung is placed, 

 in order that the mould may not settle, and 

 become lower in the centre, which will have a 

 tendency to injure the plants by absorbing the 

 water, which is most required at the outsides. 



It is an excellent plan, if the ground is dis- 

 engaged two or three months previous to the time 

 it is wanted for the cucumber bed, to mark it 

 out six feet wide, and put in six inches of dung 

 or leaf mould, and lay it up in ridges of two feet 

 six inches in width, and a foot in depth. When 

 wanted for use, level it down, and dig a trench 

 three feet wide for the dung, levelling it as before 

 directed. This method, if it can be conveniently 

 attended to, is certainly preferable to the other, 



