504 CULTURE OF THE CUCUMBER IN PITS. 



so much so that it has been almost superseded by the use of brick 

 pits or houses heated with water at top and bottom. Most of 

 the cultural instructions given here will, however, be almost 

 equally applicable to cucumber-growing by any of the following 

 methods. 



Culture of the Cucumber in Pits Heated by Dung-linings, Flues, or 

 Hot Water. 



Of pits heated wholly or in part by dung-linings, there are a great 

 variety of forms, chiefly differing in the construction of the exterior 

 wall through which the heat is communicated to the bed of soil or 

 fermenting material within. One of the most common, and most 

 generally useful, is that known as M'Phail's pit. The principal 

 advantage of these pits is, that dung-casings may be applied with 

 little or no previous preparation, and thus much heat, that in the pre- 

 paration of dung for common hotbeds is lost, is here turned to 

 account. 



Pits to be heated by flues or hot water, are as various in their 

 construction as those to be heated by dung-linings; some forms 

 have already been given, and we shall here describe some other 

 forms. 



Pits heated by flues have grown very good cucumbers ; the dry 

 heat is rather favourable than otherwise for winter work. The fol- 

 lowing are the dimensions of a pit of this description used by the late 

 Mr. Knight for the culture of Persian melons. Such a pit would 

 be equally or more useful for cucumber-growing, and as it may prove 

 within reach of some who could not afford hot water, we give it 

 a place here at the risk of being called antiquated. The back wall 

 is nine feet high, and the front six feet high, the width nine feet, and 

 the length thirty feet. The fireplace is at the east end, very near the 

 front wall, and the flue passes to the other end of the house within 

 four inches of the front wall, and returns back again, leaving a space 

 of eight inches only between the advancing and returning course of 

 it ; and the smoke escapes at the north-east corner. The front flue is 

 composed of bricks laid flat, and the returning flue of bricks standing 

 on their edges, as is usual ; the space between the flues is filled with 

 fragments of burned bricks, which absorb much water, and gradually 

 give out moisture to the air of the house. Air is admitted through 

 apertures in the front wall, which are - four inches wide, and nearly 

 three inches in height ; and which are situated level with the top of 

 the flues, and are eighteen inches distant from each other. The air 

 escapes through similar apertures near the top of the back wall. 

 These apertures are left open, or partially or wholly closed, as circum- 

 stances require. Thirty-two pots are placed upon the flues described 

 above, each being sixteen inches wide at least, and fourteen inches 

 deep ; but they are raised by an intervening piece of stone and 

 brick out of actual contact with the flues. Into each of these pots 



