3^ THE FORCING CARDE>f. [AP5<r 



the air will get in between the glass and front-board 

 of the frame. Or the two side lights may be slip- 

 ped down, and tlie middle one may be drawn up a 

 little way (if a three-light box) ; which is a more 

 secure m.ethod tlian to tilt the lights both at top and 

 at front, especially in windy weather, or in situa- 

 tions much exposed. In sunshine, if the mercury 

 stand' at 70 ' or 72°, the frame will be abundantly 

 hot for cucumbers. 



If the green fly or the thrips make their appear- 

 ance, a remedy lies in fumigation. If cucumbers 

 be kept as moist as they require, and if the vines 

 are trained on the earth (which they should), in- 

 stead af slates, tiles, or dry moss, the red spider will 

 seldom attack them. It is very proper to place a 

 bit of slate, tile or glass, under the fruit, particular- 

 ly of melons, in order to keep it from damping, and 

 from partaking of an earthy flavour. But to slate 

 or moss the whole surface is wrong, as nothing 

 tends more to the breeding of the red spider, which 

 is often a great annoyance to melons, especially at 

 times when it is improper to water them freely^ as 

 when the fruit are ripening off. 



The frame will now be full of viiies, (I sjieak of 

 the cucumbers), if these have b^en stopped and 

 ti-ained as directed last month. The plants should 

 now be kept moderately thin of shoots, but should 

 never be pruned much at a time, being apt to 

 bleed, and in that case might be much weaken- 

 ed. All bruised, damped, or decayed leaves should 

 be carefully picked off as they appear, and th<2 

 plants should be cleaned from weeds, and other rub- 



