The Culture of Vegetables 



way until they have made shoots eighteen inches long, then nip 

 out the points. After this there must be no more stopping, but 

 occasionally the laterals must be suppressed to prevent crowding. 

 Give air freely at every opportunity, and be careful not to administer 

 too much water, or the blunder will result in a deficiency of fruit. 



To grow Marrows in the open air, the best course of procedure 

 is to remove a portion of the top soil, to form a shallow trench four 

 feet wide. Into this carry one foot to eighteen inches depth of half- 

 rotten manure, or a mixture of equal parts of manure and leaves, and 

 cover with the soil that was taken out. This will produce a very 

 gentle hot-bed that will last until the natural ground heat is sufficient 

 to keep the plants in vigorous health. The middle of May is quite 

 early enough to make up the bed, and in the course of two or three 

 days the giants may be put out, and covered with hand-lights or 

 small frames, which on the following day should be tilted at bottom 

 to admit a little air, and if strong sunshine occurs, a Rhubarb leaf 

 may be laid over to subdue the glare upon the young plants. We 

 will suppose these plants to have been raised in a Cucumber frame 

 from seeds sown in April. If you cannot secure plants, sow seeds 

 in patches of two or three on the bed, and cover with large flower- 

 pots wrong way up, and with a piece of tile to stop the hole. 

 This plan hastens germination, and the pots may be used as pro- 

 tectors if glass frames are not at command, being taken off during 

 the day and put on at night, the hole being left open to give a little 

 air. During bad weather the pots should remain all day over the 

 plants, but as soon as possible must be again taken off to keep the 

 growth short, and green, and vigorous. The plants should be put 

 singly down the centre of the bed, three feet apart, and as a matter 

 of course the seeds should be sown at the same distance, and each 

 clump of two or three should be reduced to one when the plants are 

 somewhat forward. It is advisable not to be in a hurry to thin the 

 plants, for the slugs will probably compel some modification of 

 arrangements, so that sometimes it will be necessary to lift a clump, and 

 divide the plants, to fill up gaps where the slugs have made a clearance. 

 An occasional inspection in the after part of the day, and again in 

 the early morning, will be the best course to keep down the slugs, as 

 they may then be caught and disposed of ; but a dusting of soot 

 around each clump will do much to protect the plants against silent 

 marauders. As for after-management, there is no occasion whatever 

 for any stopping or training, but now and then a stout peg may be 

 placed to keep some strong vine in order. But the necessity for 



144 



